Grounded
by Pop-X-Tart
Summary: "Icarus tried to fly. Only for a moment, but he did and never looked back... I'd give anything to be like the others, just to fly and be free." She sighed longingly, looking at the stars she could never reach. At least until her dear friend held her hand. Until now, she had never noticed that soft, fondness in his eyes. "Then let me be your wings." (Brooklyn X OC)
1. The Next Generation

It was especially cold that December night in New York.

Snow gently fell to the ground in fat, beautiful flakes from a dark sky. At this time of night, very few were out on the streets, and most kept inside their homes, where it was warm and quiet. The streets had frozen solid, and the sidewalks were slippery. Many buildings were decorated with red and green lights, from large holiday advertisements, to small, cozy lights between curtains.

Below the city however, the sewers weren't any less festive.

Amid them were those a great deal of New Yorkers were oblivious to. Those who outwardly may have been intimidating and strange, but inside were hearts of kindness and gold. It was warm in the center, where there was plenty space for the homeless, and mutants, as they had made it their home. It was much like any large home, with all the necessary things that made it one. All the different rooms and facilities, it was nice considering the location.

From the large radio sitting in the corner of the main room, the classic tunes of Christmas music played in the back. There were a few couches in the room, to which some sat and relaxed on. The gargoyles too had come down to partake in the festivities. There were drinks and food, and all were having a good time. On her corner of the couch, the lioness mutant Maggie sat cozily, with a fuzzy brown blanket up to her chin. She had been on the quieter side tonight, preferring to settle down comfortably. But she would talk to whoever approached, yet she didn't get up.

Now and then, one of the mutant children would run by, and it would assure her.

Everything was going to be fine.

Though her large, stretched belly felt like a tight balloon ready to pop, she knew everything would be okay. Leaning back into the cushions, she eased her head back, though her ears did twitch with the brief cramp that followed.

"Ah-" she sighed slowly, closing her eyes. On the cushion next to her, the weight shifted, causing Maggie to open her narrow eyes. "Elisa." She greeted, smiling. The young detective returned the gesture and offered a hot drink. "Hey. Thought you looked a little lonely over here."

The lioness gratefully accepted the drink. "Oh, no. I enjoy the quiet over here. I wouldn't want to be in anyone's way."

"Hardly." Elisa waved. "So, how's junior coming along? Talon says you've been feeling a little sick lately."

Maggie took a slow sip of her drink, enjoying the comfort of it. She leisurely closed her eyes. "I believe we're both fine. He worries too much… a little morning…_discomfort_, is nothing."

"Probably. But you know how my brother is." The human woman smiled, looking back out in the party. Talon was busy on the far side, having a conversation with Goliath and Hudson. When he felt he was being looked at, the panther sent a small smile over. Maggie smiled to herself. "He's taken good care of me. All of us." She nodded, shifting to get comfortable again. Elisa briefly noted the lioness tail batting against her as she moved.

"Well… take it easy, okay? After all, you got my first nephew, or niece with you." Elisa chuckled.

Maggie looked at her hidden bump thoughtfully. "I think it'll be a boy."

Elisa raised a brow. "Are you going to be betting like Fang now?" she teased. The Lioness smiled behind her cup. "Well, all the other cubs have been boys. I figure it would be the same for me." She reasoned. Elisa thoughtfully looked back out. It was true. All the other mutants, Claw and Fang, both had sons. There were five of them, and they all acted like brothers. Elisa had to admit, it was cute seeing them with their endless energy.

"I guess we'll know soon… Must be a good Christmas present, huh?"

Maggie smiled. "The best."

After the party ended and the gargoyles left, Talon returned to Maggie's side. He had checked up on her now and then, and only left her side because of her insistence she didn't need to be watched. Now though, he helped her up so they could go to bed. When the lioness got to her feet and began folding her blanket, a wave of pain made her gasp and buckle.

Luckily Talon caught her, and his cat-like eyes widened. "Is it time?"

Maggie frowned, breathing a deep breath. "It won't be much longer… Talon, I'm sorry, with the baby I haven't had much time to figure what to get you for Christmas."

The panther only smiled and placed a hand to her cheek. "All I ever want is right here." He stated, softly. "And here, is all I'd like for the holidays." He chuckled, letting his other hand fall over her stomach. Talon let his head fall atop hers, and the deep purr in his throat did comfort her… for a minute.

"But seriously, get me some Advil." The lioness huffed, turning and wobbling off to bed.

On the midnight after Christmas day, there was a peaceful atmosphere among the gargoyles with the holiday having ended. At the castle atop Xanatos' home, the gargoyles were enjoying a nice time inside, talking of the holidays and eagerly awaiting dinner. Even though it was late, the normal times were different for them.

Broadway coughed from the kitchen, waving the smoke away. "Stuff's almost done!"

Lexington pinched his nose. "Sure about that? You might need more time if everything burns." He laughed, making an insulted '_hey_!' follow. While the small green gargoyle went to help him out, Angela stood by the window, looking out at the falling snow. "It's so beautiful, with all the city lights." She admired, at least till Bronx came up, distracting her when he licked her hand. "Hey you!" she laughed, starting after him.

Nearby, Goliath and Elisa sat close together, enjoying sitting by another's side. Quite frankly, Elisa liked snuggling up in his large, leathery wing. She sighed comfortably.

"I'd say it's been a good year."

Goliath closed his eyes, smiling. "I would agree… We shall see what nine-teen ninety-seven holds in store for us."

"Hopefully more time for…us. I've been thinking of working part-time."

"Elisa," Goliath began, tenderly holding the human closer to him, "for my sake, you do not have to-"

"For our sake." She interrupted, sneaking a quick kiss to the gargoyle. Goliath could only sigh, nevertheless, enjoy the time with his human. Above, on the roofs, Brooklyn leaned against the old, stone foundation. He liked the feeling of cold snow on his dark red skin, it felt nice to him.

Just as he was closing his eyes, a distant 'hey!' made him furrow his brows. But there was nothing but darkness in this snowy night. The moment he shrugged and closed his eyes, a large, brisk form landed next to him.

"Wake up ya mook!" Fang snarled, fur bristling from the snow. "Where's Talon's sista?" he demanded, looking around. Brooklyn, having calmed his heart down, huffed. "Inside. Where else?... Why?"

The brown feline growled over his shoulder, sharp teeth glinting. "Why do ya think? Maggie's gone into labor!"

For a moment Brooklyn felt his heart freeze, and quickly he was running after the mutant cat. Fang must have broken the news fairly quick, because everyone looked shocked. The bobcat pointed at Elisa Maza.

"You. Come on. Talon wants ya. Guys' been freaking out."

When Goliath stepped after her, Fang blocked the way. "Nah buddy. Talon said only her… It's for Maggie, aight? We don't want her _freaking_ out if there's too many peoples, plus, we don't know how a giant mutant cat lady might get defensive…and bust out the claws." He winced, turning tail and hurrying out.

Elisa was waiting for him outside. "Is my brother alright?"

Fang only grabbed her up in an arm, eyes ahead. "You'll see him soon enough." And with that, he took off through the night sky, hurriedly. From the balcony of the interior, the gargoyles watched silently.

"Aren't we at least gonna check on her?" Brooklyn demanded, staring up worriedly at his leader.

"Not yet." Goliath answered slowly. "This is a matter for Elisa's family. She will let us know soon enough."

Yet as the night slowly wore on, and the dawn being on the horizon, they knew it wouldn't be till night came again they knew anything.

Maggie lay in her bed, fur clinging to her skin damply, and her hair a bunched mess behind her. She was exhausted, but she had enough strength to keep awake. She slowly turned her head, watching as a homeless former nurse handled her cub.

"Is-is everything alright?" she rasped, dimly aware of Talon on her other side holding her hand. Next to him, Elisa stood biting her thumb, watching the nurse. In the doorway the rest of the mutant/homeless clan peaked in, till thankfully Claw shooed them off.

"Shouldn't there be crying?" the lioness finally realized, starting to sit upright despite the pain it caused her. But then, the nurse smiled over, her kind face bright since it had been years since helping someone. In her arms she held a small bundle, and she made her way over.

"She's healthy, only sleeping."

Maggie let out a held breath when she could hold the bundle. "S-She?" she breathed, amazed as she finally got to see her cub. Although swaddled, the light brown cub's face was visible. There was a small, pink nose, with tufts of fur poking from her cheeks. Small little ears folded over her head, and bits of black fur poked out from the tips. If anything, it looked like the cub had mostly taken after Maggie, but the fur color was between her parents.

Just barely, the awed parents could see the small pink nose twitch, as if taking small sniffs. Perhaps though she didn't like the cold air, because the cub squirmed to hide from it, but couldn't do anything with the swaddle. At the tiniest upset squeak, Maggie quickly hid the cub into her neck, as to avoid the chilly air.

"Talon." Maggie began after a moment, eyes darting over. "You don't think- "

"No." he assured, smiling and sitting closer to her. "I know… Every birth here we have to wonder how human…or animalistic they can be. But I don't think they'll ever be like wild animals, Maggie. There's too many other factors."

Maggie let out a hard breath, finally letting herself relax. Yet when she closed her eyes, her breathing slowed, finally succumbing to sleep. Talon looked over his shoulder, and most of the others got the hint to leave. Elisa however remained, smiling at her brother.

"Well, Talon, you're a dad now… Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

The panther chuckled and leaned back into his seat, letting himself relax as well. "It was pretty high up on the list." He answered softly. "I have to admit… when I first became this, I'd thought everything was over. My life, my friends…all gone. It turns out though, I gained so much more."

Elisa placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm happy for you, Talon… I better get going, shift starts soon… But I'll be back later to check on you guys, you can be sure." She smiled. "By the way…what's my new nieces' name?"

"We actually talked about that. For a boy or girl. Since it's a girl… we'll name her after Maggie's grandmother. Nani. She was Hawaiian." He said, thoughtfully.

Elisa chuckled as she left. "Little Nani… I can't wait."

A short hour later, Maggie was wide awake, and obviously protective. She didn't like anyone else in the room but Talon. But it wasn't a problem. It _was_ their bedroom anyway. Anyone that wanted to say something would have to deal with Talon at the door, and that was that.

It was a relatively peaceful day though. Despite the chill, everyone was calm and resting from the morning's excitement.

Maggie frowned over. "I don't understand. I've read books on both human and feline pregnancy. All she's done is sleep. Shouldn't she at least be hungry, o-or fussing?"

Talon placed a hand to her head, brushing stray hairs from her face. "Maggie, I know your instincts make things more difficult, considering what we are now. I know, I feel it too. But everything is alright. She's not in any pain, only sleep. I think most parents would be jealous of us."

"I know." She answered quickly. "I just wish- "

As if to protest all the noise, Nani squeaked quickly and shortly, as if to give them the message to quiet. But obviously, she began to wake up more, and even peaked her eyes open. There was a hint of Talon's bright blue eyes, but her own could only squint before closing from the light.

Maggie had perked, watching with delight and joy in her heart. Talon felt all his doubts vanish instantly.

"May… may I hold her?"

Maggie obviously hadn't given that a thought as she looked at him, eyes widening. "I thought you had."

To his amusement he shook his head. "No, you two were sleeping most the morning."

"Oh Talon, I'm sorry. Here. Make sure to hold her head." The lioness pointed out, carefully handling the bundle over. Nani obviously disliked the movement and squirmed, but still in her swaddle, could not move. Talon gingerly held her in his arms, amazed yet glad. "I don't think she cares for being constricted." He began, starting to unwrap the blanket with a careful hand, much to Maggie's protest. "I don't want her getting cold."

Talon laughed. "We've turned all the heaters up. She won't be getting cold anytime soon. It's probably all the constriction on her-"

Talon cut himself off, falling silent.

Maggie had yet to stop staring at him with wide eyes. "What?"

The panther swallowed a hard spot in his throat. "…_wings_."

The lioness leaned forward. "Talon, for goodness sake you're scaring me. What's with that face?" After a moment, Talon eased himself down next to her, and glancing at her, returned the cub to her mother. It didn't take Maggie long to see Nani's back, or, what was lacking on it.

The lioness covered her mouth.

Talon furrowed his brows. "… you know; I don't think it matters."

"She doesn't have wings." Maggie rasped, soon rubbing her hand through the cub's fur. It seemed to please Nani, because she fell asleep at the touch. The small sign of the cub relaxing from her hand comforted Maggie. "She'll never be able to fly…" she realized, almost sadly.

Talon rested his eyes on the cub, softly speaking. "It's alright, though… With all the genetics put into us, it's no surprise something would show up sooner or later… But it's all alright." He smiled, happily. "I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful, healthy cub."

It seemed the talking again roused the cub up, finally giving the parents what they'd expected and hoped at first. Two long hours of fussy crying, at least until the cub's mood died down and her belly filled up.

A long twelve hours later, Elisa Maza returned to the sewers once her shift finished. Although she was tired, there was no way she was going to miss seeing her new family member. Once she arrived, she found the homeless members of the clan minding the older cubs, and they seemed highly agitated. Fang seemed in a bad mood. "You got any idea how hard it is to keep a bunch of boys quiet? It's not. Especially when they got the freaking energy of wild cats. But noo, Talon expects us to keep them quiet and-" he jumped, "who keeps pouncing on my tail?" he roared, fangs bared. "I ain't cut out for this! Why do ya think I leave it to the women?" he huffed, finally letting off his steam.

Elisa had only raised her brows, amused. "Hang in there Fang."

When she reached the hallway and the bedrooms, she stopped at the one on the end and greeted an annoyed Talon by the door. "_What_ is Fang's problem? I swear, he's louder than those children put together."

"Makes you wish the cat had his tongue, huh?" she teased.

Talon merely rolled his eyes and guided her inside. "I've just been baby-proofing things around here. Luckily I already built the crib some time back."

Elisa looked around. "Where's Maggie?"

"Oh." Talon leaned up from the crib. "She went for a walk with the women. Said she needed to stretch a little, get some advice from the other mothers."

The detective nodded, casually making her way over. But, she couldn't hide her smile as she peaked over the crib. Little Nani was staring up at the hanging toys over the crib, watching them float around with awe. Then, as she'd shown she didn't like the blanket, she wiggled out from it and curled her tiny paws to her face.

"She's adorable, Talon." Elisa smiled, unable to take her eyes away as the cub blinked over, staring at her first human in silent wonder. "Have you shown her to anyone else yet?" Elisa asked, tucking a dark hair behind her ear. Talon sat back in a chair next to the crib and sighed. "Not yet… And it certainly won't be how Fang introduced his boys to everyone."

Elisa chuckled. "Dare I ask?"

"Barely five minutes after the poor things were born, he stands on a trash heap and presents them Lion King Style. He even sang the circle of life."

The detective's laughing made Nani look over again, wondering what was going on.

"Well, I'm sure everyone will love her. The Gargoyles too. Everyone's been so worried about Maggie, now they just want to meet the newest clan-mate."

"I'd give it a week." Talon decided in thought. "That'll give time for Maggie to recover, and she'll feel like flying by then, at least."

As the detective nodded, she paused and leaned forward. Then, with furrowed brows, she opened her mouth.

"I know." Talon dismissed. "But it's no big deal. She will be loved, and happy." He smiled, somewhat closing his eyes.

Elisa nodded. "I know… we'll, you better rest up, big brother. You've had a long day." With that she went over and kissed his furred forehead, and waved as she left the room. Talon slowly closed his eyes, all the more enjoying the restful quiet. At least, till he caught sight of big blue eyes looking at him through the crib's bars, said cub silently watching him. Talon chuckled.

"Come here, you. Something you'll learn soon enough, is the love for cat-naps around here." With his cub in his arms, Talon settled down on the bed, figuring a small nap wouldn't hurt…

When Maggie eventually returned, she found her mate snoozing on the bed, wings covering himself and the small cub snuggled into his neck.

She made sure to get a picture.

It was New Years' Eve when the mutants left the sewers. With all the festivities and fireworks being set up, they didn't plan on missing the show. They flew their way to the castle, looking forward to the view with their gargoyle friends. They only wore loose jackets or coats, but the new parents had made sure to bundle their cub good.

Nani was hardly visible in Maggie's arms with all the blankets. And she wasn't happy with it either. But the mutants had their attention elsewhere as they flew, taking note of all the people waiting for the new year below. When they arrived at the tower, Bronx rushed out to greet them. Maggie warily held her cub close when Bronx noticed, sniffing up at her knowing something was new. At least till a whistle called him back.

The gargoyles greeted them happily, and urged they come inside where it was warm, and where dinner was waiting. It was obvious though their eyes lingered on Maggie and her bundle, but they didn't want to rush her.

Angela greeted Maggie by the fire place, where the fire brightly warmed the area. The gargoyle gasped, hands going to her cheeks. "Oh, she's adorable!"

"Would you like to hold her?" Maggie smiled.

So, that was how it went for a few minutes, each gargoyle holding the cub happily yet careful. Of course, Maggie was never far to keep an eye on them. Talon though was more calm, instead talking with his friends about the New Years. The little boy cubs were constantly running around and playing, mostly running away from Bronx, much to the gar-dog's excitement.

Once Maggie had grown more at ease, she consented to let Nani stay in the children's room, out of everyone's way and where it was safe. It was in the hall nearby just around the corner, filled with toys and colorful things. If anyone looked in from the hallway, they would see the small room, and how safe it was. It looked like Nani had faked being sleepy, so she wouldn't be held by anymore strange faces. But now that she was alone, 'asleep', she found the loneliness upsetting.

The cub's small, shy cries went unheard. It escaped everyone's notice the quiet, stealthy form going down the hall. Except Nani's. The helpless cub lay looking towards the doorway, watching the shadow. Her blue eyes grew the size of plates, until, she saw one of those funny creatures with wings and tails again. They weren't furry… so she figured someone was going to hold her again.

As for the gargoyle, she turned her head when the smallest shuffle reached her ears. Her clawed fingers stretched out readily, to fight whoever was there. But there was nothing but an empty child's room. Demona 'hmphed', almost to continue her way, till her eyes lowered.

For a few moments she stared, till putting it together. The red haired gargoyle appeared amused and stepped over the small child-gate.

"Well, what do you know. The mutants can breed." She scoffed, bending her knees. Nani only stared up at the gargoyle, eyes inching upwards. When she caught sight of the wild crimson hair, the cub was delighted. She reached her furred arms upwards, smiling and making her infant noises.

As for Demona, she hadn't expected that. Her sharp features turned to surprise. She glanced at the doorway, lips thinning. "Why would they leave a newborn out here… _incompetent_-" she scoffs, picking the cub up. The gargoyle couldn't help but watch as the almost a week old cub managed to lift her head, and fill her little paws with red hair. Tiny fingers tried grabbing a hold, but with much to learn still, she couldn't grab, and continued batting at it.

"How lucky that you're cute." Demona mumbled, heading for the door. No sooner than she had stepped out, did a gargoyle's screech echo the hall.

Brooklyn stopped in his tracks, standing stiff with his wings flared. "Demona, _put her down_." The red gargoyle warned, eyes shining white angrily.

Demona raised a brow. "As in drop her? You can't be that foolish, can you?"

"You know what I mean." He warns.

"Oh, but Brooklyn," the female smirked, "how can I carry out my plans if I've adopted a new pet? Surely I must go home now."

When she turned, the gargoyle shrieked and jumped for her. Demona had no choice but to let go of the cub so she could defend herself. Brooklyn didn't pay any attention to her, rather the cub so he could catch her. It cost a sharp slash across his side, but at least he had the cub safely. Brooklyn jumped away, shielding himself with his wings. By his glare, he was daring Demona to come closer.

As expected, the cub began crying, causing Demona to briefly glance down to his hidden arms, considering if it was worth it. Finally, she snarled and ran off down the hall, vanishing into the darkness. Brooklyn snorted to himself, folding his wings behind him. He looked down at the cub, realizing this was the first time he'd held her. Brooklyn's soft expression only lasted a moment before he quickly returned the cub to the room. Then, he backed away, covering his arm with a wing when he heard the parents approaching. No doubt, they'd been in tune to her cries, and came rushing.

The crimson gargoyle sat crouched by the wall nearby, ignoring the sting in his arm. It would heal up when he went to sleep.

"What happened?" Talon demanded, looking around readily as his wife scooped up the upset cub.

"I-I don't know." Brooklyn spoke up. "I was passing by, I… guess I scared her." He lied. Brooklyn knew Demona had left, surely assuming the noise would have attracted everyone else. For whatever reasons she was here… well, probably nothing good like usual. Thankfully at least she had left.

Talon stood by Maggie a moment, looking their cub over. Though moments later, he snarled towards the gargoyle, ears flat against his head.

"Stay away from my cub. Understand?"

"Talon-" Maggie began, placing a hand on his arm. "I know he wouldn't-"

The panther glared over, causing the lioness to fall silent and sympathetically look at the gargoyle. Brooklyn slumped, sighing quietly. It wasn't fair in the slightest…but he didn't want to worry them about what almost happened. He turned his gaze aside, listening to the feline family walk off and return to the party.

Brooklyn dropped his head in his hands, trying to ignore the heaviness in his chest.

The blood on his arm dripped to the ground, stinging all the more.

"Man, I hope the new year isn't _this _lousy…"


	2. Y2K

Three long, happy years later, New York was on the Eve of the new century. The last years of the twentieth century had been spent in growing and much learning. As the gargoyles became commonplace in the city, with some acceptance, the numbers in the sewers were growing. Many homeless had been added to the clan there, welcomed with open arms. That is, so long as they didn't mind the leaders there. Surprisingly, a great number of those seeking refuge didn't. Especially after witnessing the kindness offered to them.

Although, the mutants number had halted after Nani's birth. There were only four mutants in the first place, and all had settled with a partner. There wouldn't be any more mutant children until much later, they all figured. Six children was enough, although one was still learning how to talk and run.

The only thing that stopped it from becoming an entirely pleasant new year was the Y2K fear. Unfortunately, even some of the homeless began fearing something would happen. All that ramped up fear, no matter how much it was dismissed, worried the mutant parents. Though Fang was the one joking it off mostly, even he didn't like his boys hearing all this nonsense. Finally, one day, he snapped out some reason.

"Why don't we just stay at the castle till this blows over?... Heh… no pun intended."

Talon actually agreed, and he ordered they take themselves and the children there. The humans of sound mind agreed to stay away from the others, at least till it was over. It wouldn't be for very long. Talon though consented to stay behind, at least to keep order. Maggie was reluctant about that. But she was happy to stay with the gargoyles. They were all dear friends for many years now.

Upon landing at the castle, the children rushed off, since they'd grown used to the place. Soon, excited voices could be heard inside upon greeting the children. Maggie, Claw, and Fang appeared comfortable away from the drama of the sewers.

Nani bounced on her heels, leaning forward, but could not move with Maggie holding her hand. The cub had grown considerably, but still was a cub. Her fur had lightened up, as some felines did. It was a soft, light brown and short. From her head, much like Maggie, long, blondish brown hair came out from her head, and was braided into a short plait. Big blue eyes desperately looked up at her mother, and she would have batted her wings if she'd had any; as she'd seen the other children do when begging. But the three-year-old hadn't completely grasped what she was lacking. She was as happy as any child.

Maggie sighed, bending down. She couldn't help but feel protective, even in a safe place like this. Maybe because it was so big… or because of Xanatos. He had proved himself helpful and a friend over the years… but that didn't change the fact he was responsible for what Maggie and the others had become.

"Go on… But stay inside." She warned, watching the toddler squeal and run inside. Maggie sighed again, watching her vanish from view inside. Claw placed a hand on her shoulder, the tiger silent and supportive as always. Maggie only gave him a small, thankful smile.

Meanwhile, Nani finally caught up to her clan-brothers. She smiled in eagerness as the older cubs ran around, jumping over furniture and climbing walls. They all loved to climb and jump, flying as hard and fast as they could. They didn't exactly have enough strength to fly straight off the ground, but they were learning. The female cub quickly put it together and rushed to a wall nearby, trying to climb. But her claws weren't strong enough, and she ended up falling on her backside. Above the other cubs flew, laughing and playing with Bronx. Again, she stubbornly tried climbing, but found she couldn't.

Nani's tail smacked the ground in her frustration, and with furrowed brows and a pouty lip, she climbed the couch nearby and braced herself on the edge. As she prepared to jump, slender grey arms caught her.

"We wouldn't want to get hurt now, do we?" Angela asked, smiling at the cub. But Nani only pouted up at her, soon turning her gaze to her brothers. Immediately she began squirming, desperate to catch up to them. Angela paused, soon looking over.

"Hey guys, care to play a game?"

No sooner did they look over curiously, did the three young gargoyles find themselves scrambling to catch the thrown cub. Broadway ended up catching her, laughing. Finally, the little cub could feel like she was flying, and now giggled madly. She climbed up the gargoyles arm, soon spreading out her arms in readiness.

"Alright, go long you guys!" The large gargoyle shouted, soon throwing her across the room. It didn't take long for the other cubs to notice and get jealous. Soon it was a mess of rowdy mutant children, shouting and enjoying themselves.

At least, until the oldest, Fang's son who took too many loudmouth characteristics from him, shouted.

"Yeah but she can't fly on her own!"

"Hey! She can't help it!" Another shouted.

Usually it was this way. Fang's cubs' vs Claws. Fang's tended to be a bit…loud, bratty at times. Whilst Claw's three boys were good-mannered, and angel-like. For the most part they all behaved like brothers, but sometimes they could get into… cat fights…

But Nani had grown used to them, and never bothered to understand anyway. She was still years younger, without a care in the world. It showed when she ran past them all, laughing and trying to escape Bronx, who happened to adore the cubs. It lasted until the toddler ran down the hall, and bumped into something like a wall.

The cub grunted and fell back, till large hands picked her up.

"Hello, young one." Goliath smiled, looking over. "I'm guessing the others have arrived."

"Aye." Hudson sighed. "All this talk of something happening for the new century. But Xanatos deems it nonsense."

"It still has enough humans shaken up. We can only wait and see." The gargoyle leader answered, returning to the main room and dropping the cub off again. There, all was well and happy. The gargoyles enjoyed the young company, and that of the three mutants.

It wasn't long before things grew quiet, with the children having worn themselves out; but they mustered all their strength to stay awake for midnight. Poor Nani kept dozing, and would beat her hands to her head to keep awake. Maggie held her in her arms, chuckling. "Sleep dear."

But the cub only yawned out a long, sleepy 'nooo'.

The sound earned a few chuckles, and most everyone had no problems waiting for the midnight ball to drop in the city. There was ten minutes' left, and during the crowding around the t.v, Brooklyn piped up. "Why don't we all go see it in person? It's not that far away."

"Yeah, but… there's so much hype about something happening." Lexington reasoned.

"But-"

"Lads, tis not every year we enter a new millennium together. We can spend one year together." Hudson spoke up, earning a few sighs. "Besides, the children love all of you. And it's far too cold for them to be out there long."

"I got fur!" Fang's eldest, Johnny, made known loud and annoyed. At least till his pop scooped him up, ruffling his head. "Yeah but barely enough ya feral." He laughed.

Although Fang was annoying in pretty much everyone's eyes, they couldn't deny he was a good dad. A bit rough, but he always looked out for them. Claw was a good tiger dad too, and despite his mute ways, his cubs were very much like him and sweet. There was a nice balance with the next generation of mutants.

Minute by minute, the clock neared the countdown, and all the excitement roused the kids up enough. Even Nani determined to stay awake and watch the ball drop. The screen was bright before them all and showed countless New Yorkers. On the side of the screen were smaller footages from different parties all along the east coast. Everyone was now holding their breaths in the final minute.

Broadway and Angela held another, sharing their sweet, quiet resolutions to another. Hudson held the excited Bronx calmly, but happily. Lexington and Brooklyn, amid five brother cubs, all clustered near the television. Claw and Fang watched off to the side, feeling their hearts racing. Towards the back of the group, Goliath and Elisa welcomed the new year in with a sweet kiss.

And on the couches, Maggie sat excitedly, watching the last few seconds approach.

"Three, two- "Everyone echoed, and then, the screen lit up with confetti and thousands of New Yorkers cheering.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Seemed to shake the castle. It was a wonderful moment inside the castle, everyone jumping and yelling. Even greater from the open balcony, they could hear the distant chorus of all the locals shouting and celebrating.

Even Xanatos made an entrance after a few moments, with Fox at his side holding their son. He chuckled and leaned against the wall. "Any resolutions you've decided?" he smiled.

As the two clans thought about what to say first, Nani's young, loud voice shouted.

"Sleep more!"

And then, she fell asleep in Maggie's arms.

It was a resolution that everyone in their laughter agreed to.

It was almost dawn when the mutates decided to head home. They were tired and figured the rest of the group had calmed down. The gargoyles had already gone to their perches for the day, and just as the mutants stepped foot outside with their children, a cell phone went off. Everyone turned and watched as Fang fished it out from his pocket.

"Yeah what?"

His ears perked, mouth falling open at the voice on the other end. "No kiddin! Crap… Yeah, we'll be right there."

Finally he snapped his phone shut, much to the other's curiosity. "C'mon Claw. Apparently a buncha nut jobs went down into the sewers to hide last night. Here's the kicker. They think all the trains passing above the sewers were bombs goin' off! Idiots actually thought somethin' happened last night!" he laughed, though the others were more worried.

"Is he alright?" Maggie pressed.

"Heh? Oh, he's fine. Just needs some backups. Wants you and the kids to stay here though. C'mon Claw." With that, the two mutants rushed off the roof. That left Maggie and the six cubs watching, somewhat still surprised.

The sunrise now hung high in a distance, brightly shining gold and pink. Maggie worriedly stared off into the distance before averting her gaze. "Inside, children. We can go back to bed now."

The cubs, even the more rambunctious ones didn't complain. They'd only gotten up this early to avoid flying in daylight. One after the other, they dragged their feet inside to sleep on the couches. Maggie returned inside to place her cub down, and once she was comfortable, Maggie returned to the balcony to keep an eye on things. Mostly worry…

It was almost noon when the children finally woke up. They only woke up so late because of how late they had stayed up. Nani was the last to blink awake when the other moved around. The tiny thing covered her yawn and sat up, watching the boys stretch.

"Why are we still here anyway?" Johnny murmured, annoyingly glancing out the balcony. It seemed Maggie was elsewhere in the castle. Claw's oldest, Tom, shrugged. "Maybe they're doing something important."

"Obviously kitty face." The eldest snorted. "But why do we have to get stuck here? It's no fair. Treating us like babies."

A few glances turned towards the youngest, and the second youngest being Tom's smallest brother. "We can find something to do!" Tom chirped. "We can…"

Everyone fell silent, lifting their heads.

"Breakfast!"

In a furry, energetic mess the children ran off down the hall, with Nani skipping a little ways behind them. Their skidding into the kitchen seemed to have startled Mr. Owen. He raised a brow over. "I had thought you children and the others had returned home."

"Nah!" Johnny licked his lips. "You got bacon?!"

Owen sighed, turning back to the stove. "Go to the dining room and wait. Be sure to explain to Mr. Xanatos as well." So, the boys all raced off to the dining room. By then, Nani finally waltzed into the kitchen, sniffing and with a gurgling stomach. She pranced her way over to the assistant and sat by his feet, soon looking up at the blonde.

Said man did a double take, and smiled. He picked up a piece of bacon with his fork and blew on it, before leaning down. "Do you think it's crispy enough for the others?"

Of course, the moment the cub ate, her face lit up and her tail thumped into the floor cabinets. Owen chuckled and began setting the cooked food aside. "Go on dear, to the others." He called, not wanting to step on her. So, Nani pushed up to her feet and found her way to the dining room. There, she scrambled up into the chair next to Alex and smiled at him. Xanatos' boy was her age anyway, and they were good playmates.

Xanatos, at the head of the table, sighed. "Glad to see everyone's here…" He glanced over, smirking at his wife. "Does it make you want to have more?"

Fox merely glanced at the table full of boys playing and complaining how hungry they were. Then, she saw Nani resting her head on the table, hungrily looking towards the kitchen without a peep.

"I think I'd like a girl more." She chuckled, much to her husband's surprise… perhaps annoyance if she thought there was something wrong with men.

Thankfully, Owen came in with the cart full of fresh food. Somehow patient, he served the cubs first since they clearly weren't waiting anymore. Once everyone began eating, Nani looked towards the doorway a few moments.

"Something on your mind, Nani?" Xanatos piped up, sipping his drink. The female cub looked his way a moment, before back at the doorway. Then, shaking her head, she shrugged it off and continued eating her bacon, pancakes and eggs.

Fox used a hand to shield her mouth from the side, towards her husband. "_I think she misses her mother_." She stated quietly.

Xanatos nodded and swallowed. "So I heard you boys' fathers left pretty quick, huh? Anything I should know about?"

Johnny smiled over, fangs showing. "They didn't tell us nothin' Uncle Xanatos. Never do."

"I see… Wasn't Maggie still here though?"

"I think she left." Tom piped up quietly, glancing across the table to Nani. Nani was still quiet, but her eyes couldn't hide their shine. She swallowed with difficulty and hid her face behind her cup of water.

Fox found it hard to ignore. She got up from her seat and crouched beside the cub. "Oh, sweetie, she'll be back soon. There's no need to be upset."

Stiffly, Nani gave a short nod and blinked her tears away.

Not long later they finished eating, and when Owen began to clear the dishes, Xanatos pulled him aside. "Owen, I want you to keep the children occupied when you're done cleaning. I'm going to head out to the sewers and see what's going on. And why Maggie left. Obviously, she must have been afraid to spend time here… A touching display of trust for us on her part though." He mused.

Owen furrowed his brows. "Sir, there's only so much I can do to entertain a very energetic bunch of young boys…"

However, Xanatos only smirked at him. "Come on now… I'd say you've got my permission to… _have a little fun."_ With that, he went off. Owen couldn't resist a small smirk for very long, knowing the fey in his heart could never resist a small break.

"Very well." He mused, starting to clean. All the while, the children began to play around the area. One knocked over glass too many, Owen guided them to the rooftops. There, the children slowed down and looked at the height with awe.

"Have you children any flight practice?" the assistant mused, pulling off his glasses.

Tom dutifully spoke up. "But our parents don't like us flying very high."

"And for good reason I'm sure. But take a closer look." So, the children peered over the edge, soon blinking in shock. Far below, there were long nets that extended far out from the castle all around. There was no way they could fall very far.

Even Johnny in all his impulsive energy had to question it. "What the- "

All the sudden, they saw long, white hair floating above them. "Well what are you kids waiting for?! Shoo! Wear that energy out!" A strange, long haired elf-like creature laughed. Tom's little brother Cyrus slapped his hands to his chubby striped cheeks. "Oh nuuoh, he ates Owen!"

So, the screaming boys took off yelling at the top of their lungs, flying without fear since the nets were there. By the stairs, large blue eyes poked out, with the black fluff of her ears tipping forward. Nani jumped when the strange fey noticed her. Before she could hide, the skinny thing picked her up, much to her uncertainty.

"Come on now, little cub. Aren't I familiar?" the fey laughed, throwing and catching her in his arms. "Maybe I gave you too much bacon." He mumbled, causing Nani to pause and notice that familiar smile. Then, she seemed to calm down, despite the confusion. Perfectly relaxed she didn't wriggle from his arms, instead watching her clan brothers fly around.

Puck jumped on the ledge and settled there, whistling. "Let's see… Count with me! All the cubs here?" he doted, surprisingly good with children. He pointed, changing her attention to count with him. "Where are they Nani?" he whispered, looking around.

Nani's large blue eyes looked around, leaning forward yet safe in his arms. She waved her hand in front of her. "Johnny! One!" She pointed towards the eldest, before his slightly younger brother. "James! Two!"

Puck snickered and nodded. "Alright! Now where's Claw's cubs?"

Nani bit her lip, looking to her right. "Tom, uh…three!" she chirped, pointing a claw over. Then, she tried looking for his twin. "T.J…" she paused, counting on her fingers. "…four?"

The fey cheered. "One more!"

Nani was determined as she leaned forward, squinting. Finally, she saw the younger, but still older than her chubby cub flying around. "Cyrus, five!" she laughed with Puck's excited 'yay!'. Nani was just as happy as the rest of them, and she didn't have to fly either.

That day, none of the children thought of the sewers or whatever had called their parents away. They kept innocently happy and oblivious as children should be.

Xanatos returned when evening came, tired, but pleased when his wife greeted him. "So what happened?"

The man rubbed his lower back, stretching. "Well, as Talon figured, people overreacted and made trouble when there was none. Basically I had to help them and the other mutants clear some…troublesome people out. There were so many… it's ridiculous how many New Yorkers felt the need to hide… Anyway, they'll be coming for the children in the morning. They have to spend the rest of the day and night, ahem, cleaning up…" he trailed off quietly.

Fox gasped. "It went that far?"

"They were firing guns and whatever else they'd stolen like no tomorrow. It was either them or us…" he said with regret. "I'm going to take a shower… need to try and forget today." He mumbled, heading inside.

"Oh, and tell Puck to prepare extra for dinner tonight. Seeing as how we'll be having the kids with us again."

Fox sighed as she walked alongside him. "We might have to order takeout. I think it was Johnny, that stuffed everything inside the stove… It's broken, I'm afraid."

Xanatos breathed out a shocked laugh, taking off his gargoyle suit. "How does a fifty-pound cub ruin one of the best stove models to exist?"

"He _is_ Fang's son…"

Xanatos chuckled and waved his hand. "Alright, tell Owen to cage up Puck for a while. Call the repairman, and get dinner… I've worked up an appetite."

So, Fox headed towards all the fun upstairs on the roofs, smiling at the sound of children having a good time. The cubs had taken small breaks since being in Puck's care, but now they were testing their diving speed. They'd jump from the roof, going as fast as they could in their race, before climbing the castle to the top again. Though, Nani was currently taking a nap in his lap, somehow able to tune everything out.

Fox cleared her throat, catching his attention. The fey 'awwed' knowingly with his time up. Then, placing the cub aside, a twirl of magic and wind left Owen taking his place. Owen calmly placed his glasses back on, arms at his sides.

"I presume he needs me for something?"

Fox nodded, not surprised at all. "Repairman for the stove, then dinner… We'll be having our favorite little guests with us again." she smiled. Fox was surprised with herself. A few years ago, she was the furthest thing from any sort of mother. But since she had Alex… Well, all these children had grown on her. A part of her wished they could visit more… but only now and then. After today, she was going to enjoy the peace and quiet.

"Very well." Owen nodded, about to speak until-

"I'll take it from here." She smiled, walking past him and picking Nani up. The ginger woman loved how the toddler curled up closer to her, like an actual kitten almost.

A little girl of her own would be nice one day…

It was almost dark a few hours later, and with Xanatos attending to business, Fox was in charge of the kids. Now hungry kids. She called down the hallway, annoyed. "Owen! Where is that repairman?"

Then, from around the corner, she noticed Owen and saw him shaking his head. "Slight delay with traffic…" he stated, slightly irritated. Mrs. Xanatos sighed, pulling up her hair into a ponytail. She had brought the children inside when the magic ropes had worn off, meaning nothing would catch them if they fell. Now, the problem was the rest of their energy, and making them wait even longer to eat because of that lousy repairman…

Luckily, there were many rooms to explore not just in the castle, but the lower levels of Xanatos' building. Now, Fox was struggling to keep them all together. The woman ran back and forth, trying to catch them all- though they thought of it as a game. When she finally noticed how dark it had gotten outside, she realized the gargoyles didn't know about the repairman. Knowing her luck, they'd probably come down the moment the repairman arrived.

With a groan, the woman rolled up her sleeves and ran to get to them in time. Surely they were already awake by now…

In the halls, Johnny poked his head out from a room, smirking. "Heyyy, she's gone! We can do whatever we want now!" he laughed, soon being ran over by James. "Hey watch it fur ball!" he shouted from the ground, his dark fur ruffled.

"Whaddya gonna do, fleabag?" Came his brother's taunt.

The cub's angry shriek was answer enough, and soon, they were in another cat-fight, but had tumbled out of the hall into the room again. Tom shrugged at his brothers before they joined in, with little Cyrus closing the door after them. He simply munched on his bag of cookies and watched, giggling. If the door was closed, no one would know, and the more fun they could have!

It seemed to escape their attention Nani was not present. Rather, by the hallway window, she saw the gargoyles gliding down to a lower level. Her eyes lit up and quickly on all fours she ran to the stairs. On the way there she passed the elevator, suddenly noticing it ding. The feline skid to a halt, tilting her head at the strange noise. To her marvel, the doors shifted open like magic.

Her jaw dropped, watching in amazement as a man stepped out. He wore an odd uniform and carried a hard red box with him. Nani saw it was a man with a big belly, and under his small hat he seemed sweaty and tired. Red, too. He had a small mustache above his two chins. Nani felt intimidated by the large human, but still mustered the manners to mumble a 'hi' when his small eyes looked over. They only looked small because his fat cheeks pushed on them.

The man shuffled back into the wall, dropping his toolbox. The loud noise caused Nani to jump, but hold her ground. The toddler stared up at him with wide, silent eyes.

Then, after a moment, the repairman took a cautious step forward. "S-So it's true… the nuclear reactors did explode and… turned people into monsters...! I knew something happened!" he breathed to himself, growing sweatier and redder. He noticed Nani's light blue dress she wore, and he grabbed his head. "N-No, not a little girl!"

As for Nani, still on her fours, she was slowly backing away, ears falling back against her head. The man took another step forward. "W-Wait, I can help you! I can get you to a hospital!" he began to believe more and more seriously. Nani though listened to her instincts and ran down the hall. But she was nowhere as fast as her cub-brothers, at only three years old. The cub squeaked when a large hand grabbed the scruff of her neck, with enough force to push her face to the floor.

Being painfully lifted and brought close to his face for examination was horrifying for the cub. So, parting her jaws, between small fangs she screeched like any cub in danger would and swung her hands. It was a loud, echoing sound of a human child, but mixed with something wild.

A small 'sch' went across his cheek from her claws, causing him to drop her. The tall height, and without wings for the cub was a hard landing. There was a burning pain in her leg, but somehow she ignored it and started running again. Nani hated the feeling of her furred feet slowing her down, but she ran for dear life. The moment she rounded the corner of the hall, she saw a gargoyle at the very end, about to pass another corner.

For the first time, Nani said a gargoyle's name.

"_**Brooklyn**_!" the cub screeched with all the fear and strength she could muster. Brooklyn's feet skid below him to a stop, and he rounded the corner he'd almost passed. Far at the end of the hall, he saw a large stranger yank Nani up in his arms, and then ran.

White hot rage suddenly burned the gargoyle from the inside out. His talons scratched the ground below him as he ran, snarling and jumping off the walls to move faster. By the time he was in the other hall, he saw the elevator at the far end closing, allowing him to catch a glimpse of the cub.

"Oh no you don't!" he growled loudly, starting up again. It seemed to take barely a second to reach the closed doors, and pull them open. The gargoyle's arms flexed with the exertion, till reaching the elevator shaft. The elevator was heading down. With his eyes a furious white, he jumped down, causing a dent to appear in the elevator's roof.

The repairman yelled and used the emergency exit so he could run out, though it only took him to an open courtyard. It took only seconds for Nani's crying to attract the gar-dog. Bronx immediately started barking and scrambled down the steps, catching the other gargoyle's attentions. Elisa leaned over from the highest part of the castle, briefly screaming.

"Oh my god! That guy has Nani! He's got my niece!" she panicked, nearly flying down the stairs with her gun drawn. The rest of the gargoyles quickly flew down, causing the man to panic; especially when Brooklyn finally emerged from the elevator, on his trail already and starting for him. The crimson gargoyle was livid, almost murderous looking.

The panicked man turned, with Nani still under his arm. He ran towards the edge of the area, unknowing of the drop below. He must have assumed the courtyard went further, but was oblivious with the dark night.

Both the two were without flight, and their screams echoed all the way up to the skies.

"_No_!" Brooklyn cried, diving over the edge. Through the dark clouds, he folded his wings closer around his body. Nani had apparently been let go off, but when she saw him, her tiny hands desperately reached out to him. Brooklyn reached out his arm as far as he could, until finally fur met cold skin. He yanked the cub to his chest and opened his wings, allowing the current to catch him. But not a second later, the heavy weight of the man fell close, and grabbed a hold of the gargoyle's foot. With the speed and weight, the gargoyle hollered as they descended yet again.

At that moment, with the ground growing ever close, Brooklyn realized he had a decision to make. It was either all of them, or do something about it. The crimson warrior snarled, not liking it, but he held the cub closer to him suddenly. Then, he whipped through the air, the sheer speed and strength causing the man to go flying away.

With three hundred pounds off him now, the breeze easily lifted them to a perch nearby.

Brooklyn caught his breath, cold, and still fearful at what almost transpired. Finally, he snapped out of it and lowered his eyes. Nani's claws were buried in his chest, causing tiny pin-pricks of blood to stain her fingers. Her ears were almost invisible, so flat against her head. Sure enough, there was a tiny heart pounding against him.

He let out a breath. "Are you okay?"

She didn't answer. When he placed his hands down to pull her away, she painfully kept her claws in his skin. Brooklyn winced and let her go. "He's gone. He's not going to hurt you anymore." The gargoyle said softly, pitying the stiff, frightened thing. It occurred to him after a moment she wasn't listening. When his chest felt cold, he realized it wasn't because of the blood, but her tears that stained him. Brooklyn got to his feet, using his arms to hold her again.

"Let's get back to the tower."

A minute later as he landed, Brooklyn was swarmed by his clan-mates, including the few humans. "I think she's alright." Brooklyn assured, though yelped when Elisa tried picking her away. "Claws!"

"Sorry." She mumbled, carefully prying her nieces' claws from the gargoyle. Brooklyn then explained what had happened, to the best of his knowledge. Xanatos ran a hand down his face. "We can better understand what happened through surveillance. Come on."

When they started off, there was a weight on Brooklyn's tail. He looked back, surprised to see Nani hugging it. "You want to come with?" he asked, softly. Nani looked up at him, yet when she took a step forward, she limped on her leg.

"I'll get a med-kit." Angela rushed off, whilst the remaining gargoyles went inside with Xanatos. Elisa picked the tot up, and Brooklyn saw the thankfulness in her eyes. The detective quickly kissed his cheek, thanking him again. "Can you stay with us for a while? I don't think she's ready to let you go yet."

Brooklyn looked at the cub, not realizing his countenance softened. How could he say no? The cub looked at him so sincerely, as if he was her lifeline. And he had been. Nani reached out to the gargoyle, wanting to be held and surprising her aunt. Brooklyn must have realized he was getting more comfortable, because he picked her up and held her again with ease. The cub soon closed her eyes in comfort, no longer tense.

"Let's head inside though… its cold… And I kinda wanna see what happened on the footage."

With her nod, they headed inside, though kept near the back. Thankfully the surveillance was halfway over, but it didn't matter. Brooklyn kept the cub's head cradled to his shoulder, so she wouldn't see anything. He doubted it regardless. There were too many tall gargoyles in the way.

Angela returned by then, bringing him out into the hall with her. Brooklyn crouched to the ground, setting the cub beside him. "I think it was her left leg."

So Angela nodded, lightly examining it. After a few moments, and uncomfortable growls from the cub, she sighed. "I don't think anything's broken. She just put a lot of hard weight on that leg. I'll put a warm wrap around it, that should heal the sore muscles." Nani had to extend her leg so the gargoyle could work, but she turned aside nervously. She wrapped her arms around the gargoyles neck, hiding in his long white hair.

"There, you feel better?" he asked, offering a smile when the wrap was done. Nani pulled away somewhat to look, and at the pretty pink and blue cast, she smiled. Then, happily she leaned forward and pecked the gargoyles' cheek. "Hero!" she giggled, clapping her hands.

Both the women laughed at the embarrassed gargoyle.

Suddenly there were many small feet running towards them. "Hey! What'd we miss?" Johnny asked, out of breath. "Nothing you need to worry about." Elisa placed her hands on her hips. "Now where have you boys been, huh?"

"I'd say they've been roughhousing, hm?"

All the boys innocently shook their heads, except for a giggling Cyrus nodding.

"So where's dinner?" they whined.

Xanatos left the camera room, cracking his fingers. "How does takeout sound to you cubs?" Clearly the man wasn't giving any clues on what had happened.

The cubs cheered loudly and raced each other to the dining room. Except for Nani. She seemed to have been spoiled by being carried, and again reached up to Brooklyn.

"I think she really likes you." Elisa teased. The gargoyle only rolled his eyes and settled the cub on his hip. He had to stand upright, so it was a bit awkward for him. "Yeah yeah, so what do you want Nani? Chinese?"

The cub only giggled and hugged him tightly.

"Seems pretty happy with just you." Both Angela and Elisa laughed. The gargoyle only snorted and headed to the dining room. Guess he'd have to talk with the others later to figure out what happened. Right now it seemed like the little cub was scared to be far from him. He couldn't blame her.

Luckily takeout occupied all the cubs, allowing Brooklyn to sneak away. Finally he learned from Goliath what had happened. The guy hadn't been evil or a criminal, only too gullible… It was a shame Y2K ended up costing his life. Brooklyn rubbed his face, groaning. "All this nonsense… I can't wait till things calm down. I… I don't know how to feel now."

"You did the right thing lad." Hudson assured. "Sometimes, nothing else can be done."

Brooklyn turned his head, watching the cubs make a mess eating at the dining table. Clearly no adult was going near there, but it didn't stop Bronx from catching their scraps. Baby Alex was having fun too, throwing food and laughing at his furry playmates. Nani seemed to have forgotten about him, instead being preoccupied with using her chopsticks to stab her food. Eventually though she gave up and ate with her hands.

The red gargoyle eased up seeing the assuring looks of his clan-mates. The heaviness in his chest gradually lifted.

"Yeah," he sighed out, mustering a smile, "I know."


	3. Gen-U-Terror

The aging man leaned back in his chair, causing it to creak with the weight.

"Are you sure you saw them?"

Before him stood a small team of men in suits, with their faces covered by masks. The leader stood in front of them. "One-hundred percent. The mutates were the ones fighting off the attackers in the sewers. We stayed and observed as long as we could without being noticed."

The man in his chair pressed a finger to his chin, thinking. "I feel like you're skimming the details…"

The leader cleared his throat. "While the mutates seem in good health, _and strong_… We believe they may have families."

The scientist rolled his eyes, scoffing. "I suppose even giant cat hybrids can find some love in _this_ city." He scoffed. "Their questionable mates are not my concern."

"But Dr. Sevarius, we saw pictures of children."

The creak in the chair stopped halfway with his pause. Dr. Anton Sevarius stared at the wall before him, half frozen at this statement. Then, he stood up from his chair, scowling. "That's impossible! With as twisted as their mutations are, its practically impossible for them to be compatible with humans! How… I don't believe you!"

The team's only response was handing him a broken picture frame. On it, young cubs cluttered together, striking poses and smiling. Anton snatched the picture, staring in disbelief. It appeared his throat had gone dry, forcing him to swallow. Wide, wrinkled brown eyes had yet to blink.

Then, eerily, he smiled. "Well now. It seems my old project has expanded more than I thought possible… And I presume, it wouldn't be hard to lure these precious angels out, now would it?" Sevarius threw his head back and laughed. "Ah, it's too perfect! Those pitiful mutants will accept whatever trash comes their way. You lot will wear those tattered rags again, and do what you can to get those children. I'll give you three days… _If_ you are unable to by then…" The doctor glanced down at their weapons. In the dim-light of his lab, his eyes seemed to reflect a sort of darkness inside him.

"You know what to do."

.

.

The unfortunate and needy were always coming to the sewers in small numbers every few weeks, so when the undercover group arrived in their tattered clothes, and sorrowful looking states, it wasn't long before they were accepted. It was a few days into the New Year, and the mutants could sigh in relief with those Y2K fears now gone.

The first day, the new arrivals played it small and low. They kept to each other like old friends, very humble and thankful it looked to be here. They even had conversations with the others to fit in. Though every time they were alone, they'd bicker and complain about the mission.

Everyone else was none the wiser.

Things seemed to have returned to normal for the mutants and their families. They were happy to have their children back, although, Talon and Maggie were alarmed to hear what happened with their cub. They'd been very startled, then angry, till hearing of the man's death. Overall though they were thankful Nani wasn't seriously hurt.

On the third day, the team still hadn't come close to the cubs. They were always together, and it was impossible to nab them all. The female of the team watched them fly by as they were laughing and shouting at another.

"They almost seem like regular kids." She noted.

Her partner scoffed. "Yeah, kids that fly, climb walls, and electrocute each other. Maybe kids from a Steven King book."

"Oh, stop being so bitter. I'm just saying, for mutant freaks they're kinda cute."

"I'd shut that mouth, Carter." The team leader snapped. "You know why we're here. And if you keep _humanizing_ our targets, you're out. Understood?"

The female nodded immediately. "My apologies, sir."

"Besides… it's our last day here. If we can't catch at least two of them by tonight, we take the big ones down."

The team gave their acknowledgements, and went off to 'bed' for the night. As Carter went to the women's dressing room to change, she bumped into something small she didn't notice. "Oh, sorry- "

Her words cut short when she saw the small, female cub looking up at her. The poor thing had a sort of cast on her leg, presumably from an injury. It was decorated with countless names. The cub looked up at her curiously for some strange reason, before reaching up. Carter briefly looked over her shoulder before picking the cub up.

Nani gave a bright smile and picked out some flowers from her pockets. With her tiny claws, she stitched them together before dropping the crown over Carter's short, messy black hair. "Flower princess." Nani seemed to delight, and would then throw petals from her pockets. "You pretty princess!" she giggled. Carter swallowed hard, managing a smile.

All the sudden, someone rounded the corner. There stood her partner, with a limp cub in his arm. "Hey, you got one. Was beginning to wonder if- "

In that split decision moment, Carter brought her free hand forward, knocking the man out. She stood a moment, horrified over her decision, and quickly placed the frightened cub down.

"Is everything alright?" Maggie had rounded the corner, blinking. Hastily, Carter backed up and whispered sharply.

_"You have to get them out of here."_

"What?"

"The children, _now_. I'm with Gen-U-Tech."

Maggie pulled Nani against her legs, feeling faint when she saw the unconscious man, and a crying T.J at his side, now rousing awake and holding his bleeding head. "I-I don't understand- "

Carter acted quickly, hauling her partner up and keeping an eye on him. "I said I'm with Gen-U-Tech! Get all your kids out of here before Sevarius sends soldiers down here! Now!"

Talon came running up. "Maggie? What on Earth- "

Gunfire erupted down the hall, following Fang's distinctive roar of anger. "_You get the hell away from my cubs_!"

"It's Gen-U-Tech!" Maggie cried, falling into the wall and wrapping her arms and wings tightly around Nani. "They've come for our children!"

Alarm showed in Talon's face. Then, he realized he had to act. The panther roared over his shoulder. "Claw! Grab your men! We're under attack!"

It was a hasty, terrifying ordeal for the cubs, and the rest who lived there. Maggie and the other women had gathered the cubs, and hid them all with their bodies in a corner. There was no way anyone was touching a single strand of fur without going through thirty or so women, plus the mutant mother. Each bullet seemed to fire a little slower, till at last, there was silence.

The Gen-U-Tech team had been taken care of.

The cubs all sat stiff and quiet, huddled close together. In the middle of that furry bundle was Nani, who kept her head buried, not wanting to know or see anything. Even the bold, tough Johnny was shaking when he saw his brother injured. At heart, they were truly all scared children.

When Talon appeared, Maggie rushed over, yet there was a hard look in Talon's eyes. His voice shook, with a realization having dawned on him, and clearly he didn't like it.

"We were foolish to think that we could ever escape Gen-U-Tech." he stated, causing the entirety of the population there to look at him, though he was addressing his fellow mutates. "I've realized to Sevarius just how special we are, and the fact he would never let us free that easily. Tonight has proved to us he will not stop, by coming after our children. It's in their best interest if we send them away."

Immediately, Maggie and the cub's human mothers cried out. The cubs didn't understand well and huddled closer to another, trying to be strong. But Cyrus and Nani ended up crying and choking on their sobs. Maggie dashed to her husband.

"_What on earth are you talking about- "_She began; her tone having dropped fearfully.

"Maggie…" Talon began, scrunching his eyes painfully. At his side, Claw hid his head in his hands and quickly left. Fang was keeping a tough face, but at the sight of his strong, hardheaded wife crying her heart out, his features shook till he ran off, cursing.

Talon was struggling to keep his composure. He couldn't look at her either.

"My youngest sister Beth lives on a farm in Montana. She and her husband will look after them well."

Maggie's eyes had watered over, horrified. Then, she ran away, crying. Nani had pushed past the crowd, ears flattening against her head. She looked sad with everyone upset, and still didn't understand why. She stopped before Talon, not even fully reaching his knee height.

"Daddy?" the cub asked, reaching up her arms. But Talon never looked down at her. He kept his features ahead of him, hard. But as he walked past, his eyes were brimming with tears.

Nani was left standing there alone, confused, and feeling something was very wrong now.

,

,

Xanatos had looked at Talon for a long minute after their conversation. The two were in his office, with Talon standing across from his desk. Xanatos kept his sharp, calculating eyes on the panther who so blankly, yet firmly looked at him. At last, the man pushed up to his feet.

"Talon…_Derek_." He began softly. "I understand your position.. I really do." Xanatos genuinely sympathized, something rare for the rich man. "But running from this problem won't get rid of it. If this is as serious as you say, I can stamp out Gen-U-Tech, Sevarius- "

Talon only slowly shook his head. "Xanatos, you know I hate that man with every fiber of my being. What he did to me, the others… It all feels like nothing in wake of what he attempted to do last night. As a father, I have to do what I feel is best… Please understand that." The panther said quietly, closing his eyes.

Xanatos furrowed his brows. He could see how hard this was for the man. He turned aside, picking up a phone. "Very well, I can't argue considering it is your clan, and your responsibility. I'll have the plane arranged for departure this evening."

It didn't escape his notice the panther tensed. Xanatos looked at him from the corner of his eye.

All Talon did though was nod. "The sooner the better."

As a father himself, Xanatos could only imagine the pain. This was a very difficult decision indeed. As much as he wanted to reason…find another way, this seemed to be it for Talon. After the phone call, Xanatos spoke gently.

"It'll arrive at six sharp… the courtyard will have enough room."

The very next second Talon left. Xanatos lowered his gaze, sighing. "…I really hope this is the right thing."

The hours seemed to go by in a blink, much to everyone in the sewer's despair. Luckily, even the oldest of children didn't understand it. They'd only been told they were going on a vacation. So for the most part, they were excited. When it was nearing evening, the parents did everything they could to keep their composure. But packing up their cub's clothes, their toys… some took a while…

It at least gave them some hope when the cubs believed they were going somewhere fun. That hope kept the parents strong during the drive to the tower, courtesy of Xanatos. The sun was beautiful that day, the sky distantly bleeding pink and purple. Nani stared at it when they arrived at the top of the tower, waiting for the helicopter to arrive, which would take them to a private plane. Maybe it was because she was younger she didn't understand the happiness of a 'vacation'. The tot only felt a sense of finality, and her young mind didn't fully grasp it. Her parents picked her up, murmuring sweet, loving things as they had been all day. But they seemed…sad…

Nani couldn't bring herself to be happy like the other cubs.

"Nani…be…be good, okay?" Talon finally said. "I can hear the chopper…" He murmured, wings bristling behind him. Nani did understand goodbyes though. She sensed it. The cub tightly hugged both of her parents, wondering where they were all going. But then she paused and scrambled away.

"Where is she going?" Maggie asked, watching as the cub ran to the side of a castle tower and began climbing. "I think…she's going to say goodbye to the gargoyles…"

Maggie regretfully looked at the distant sun. "They'll be gone before the gargoyles wake…"

"…I know."

By then, Nani had reached the top, and approached one of the statue gargoyles. In her young mind, she hoped Brooklyn would wake up… but it wasn't dark enough yet… From her pocket she fished out a braid of flowers, and she gently dropped the crown over his stone head.

Talon called for her then, causing the cub to scramble down. Moments later, the helicopter landed, but it's blades continued whirring quickly. The cubs either cheered or covered their ears. Nani didn't like the noise and tightly covered her head. The parents, couple by couple, packaged their kid's bags inside, before making sure each cub was secured and comfortable. Even Fang, the tough bad boy, had a shaky smile when he ruffled his boy's fur. "You guys…ya look out for another, aight?" he shouted over the noise.

The two gave their signature grins and thumbs up. That gave the proud lynx just what he needed. Lastly to go inside was Nani, whom was seated in the middle of the seats. Talon must have checked the three seatbelts twenty times over, till Maggie placed a hand on his arm.

Nani would never forget the way they looked at her. So hopefully, yet…sad. Each of them kissed her head, and with lingering hands, they slowly left the helicopter. Then, the doors on each side shut. The whirring sound grew louder in the cub's ears.

"Cool!"

"We're flying in a copter!" They laughed, lifting their heads and looking as much as they could from the windows. Nani tried looking out, but she couldn't see over the small door. She only saw the beautiful sunset that day, and the tips of the castle till the helicopter brought them all out of view of anything but clouds. The cubs then chatted about anything and everything they could, in loud, excited voices.

"I wanna go to Disneyland!" James shouted, his narrow eyes wide from excitement. At least until Johnny elbowed his younger brother. "Don't be stupid fur ball! Everyone will think you're wearing a suit!"

"Then I'll just dare them to tug my ears! Imma bite em!" he laughed.

"I don't think we're going there." T.J mused, thoughtfully rubbing his head. His twin nodded in agreement. "It's too cold for that."

"But it's Florida stupid!" James snapped. "It's always hot!"

"Nah stupid!" The twins younger brother Cyrus pouted. Nani ended up covering her ears as the boys argued. Wherever they were going, she hoped they'd be more quiet…

Within minutes, they felt the helicopter descending, causing a funny feeling to rise in their stomachs. Nani, never having experienced such a drop before, whined in fear and gripped her seatbelts. Then, with a small shake, the helicopter landed. The blades slowed down, and one of the doors opened. One of Xanatos' men gestured they come out. The eldest boys ripped themselves free of the seatbelts and hurried out. But Cyrus and Nani needed help getting out. Luckily two members of the private plane came and brought them inside the small plane. Nani grew tired in her safety seat by the window. All she knew was Cyrus was sitting in front of her, and the other boys were happily racing along the short aisles between the seats when the plane revved to life.

Nani's furred hand skimmed the window, wondering when tomorrow came if it would all be a dream as she fell asleep.

.

.

The parents at the tower that had watched the helicopter depart had not fully realized the deep impact this decision would have later. It was at that moment, they realized darkness had fallen when bits of stone rained over them.

The gargoyles had woken.

One by one, the gargoyles flew down when they saw the crowd of parents below in the courtyard. Goliath landed before Talon.

"Has something happened?"

Brooklyn landed next to him, smiling and gently touching the flower crown on his head. "I'm guessing certain cubs are around." He smiled, playfully suspicious as he looked around. But not a single parent smiled or changed their expressions from their silent brokenness.

Angela's eyes widened. "What happened?"

Talon opened his mouth, but no words came out. Luckily, Xanatos walked over, arms crossed behind his back. Slowly, and with some reluctance, he explained from the beginning what had happened… and the decision that recently took the cubs away.

The gargoyles were shocked. A number of them gasped. Some of the parents decided to leave, unable to bear anymore. It would be a night of tears for them. Only Talon and Maggie remained. Even then they were stiff, restraining what they felt.

Brooklyn ran a hand through his hair. "How could you just do that?"

"Brooklyn." Goliath reprimanded quickly, sternly. "Now is not the time- "

"Pardon me but I think it's the perfect time Goliath!" Brooklyn snapped, raising fully to his feet. No one had ever seen him stand straight before. And with the added height of raised gargoyle feet, he was almost Goliath's height. "How can you just say it's okay for them to send their kids away? Without fighting back or- "

Talon's angry roar interrupted. "You don't know a thing when it comes to children! You should- "

"I know it's better to fight for them than to send them away!"

Goliath and Broadway had to get between the two when Talon lunged. Xanatos raised a brow, soon shaking his head. "Talon, Maggie… give them some time…and yourselves too." He pitied, knitting his brows. "We'll let you know when the plane lands at the ranch, Talon." He trailed off, softly. So, the feline couple quickly left, leaving the gargoyles to either brew angrily…or gloomily dwell on the fact this place would be very quiet from now on…

As for Brooklyn, Goliath had grabbed a hold of him, forcing the younger gargoyle off to the side so they could talk.

"Brooklyn, what you said was out of line."

"But- "

"_I_ am talking and you will heed your leader." The beast of a gargoyle warned, eyes flashing white. "I understand how you feel… Ever since those cubs came to be, we have spent many a night babysitting, caring for them as if they were our own hatchlings. We loved each one as they grew into the children they are now. But you cannot fully ever comprehend the pain, and the sheer torture their parents must feel following their hearts. If that is what their hearts will as parents, then we are not to question that."

Brooklyn had lost the will to fight at those words. In his hands, the flowers seemed so small and special to him, and much like the one who crafted them, they too would be gone soon…

"It just seems so sudden." The young male breathed, lowering his gaze. "One day they're here, happy and… this one incident happens and now they're being sent halfway across the country, away from anything familiar."

"Brooklyn, you know very well this would not just be _one_ incident if they remained."

The young gargoyle scrunched his eyes, holding the flower crown closer to his chest. Then, he shook his head and retreated inside the castle on fours. Elisa was startled as she walked past him, heading for Goliath.

"Hey… why the long faces?"

Nearby, Xanatos lowered his gaze at the quiet voices around; which soon turned to quiet crying moments later from the detective.

The rich man simply headed inside, knowing it was going to be a long, sleepless night for both clans who'd had their hearts crushed.


	4. Montana

She awoke at some point during the sunrise. The low hum of the plane was quiet in her ears, a soothing low sound. The light brown cub turned her head, taking notice of the interior she was still inside. It was a small craft, with about four rows of seating. There were two window rows, and one in the middle. The cub ached as she shifted, trying to get a better view around.

It seemed the moving and trying to get out caught a stewardess' attention. The woman appeared uncertain, however did lean over to unbuckle the cub. As she was prone to do, Nani looked up at the woman, ears twitching from the nearby air conditioner. Under that odd gaze, Nani lowered her eyes and stuck a finger in her mouth, looking at the ground. A small sigh left her pink nose, lost in her small thoughts. Wondering where this plane was going, and when the others would wake up.

It surprised her, but she didn't protest when the stewardess picked her up. Then, the woman sat down in the seat nearby, beginning to hum and rock the cub. Gradually, Nani began to relax and rested against the woman. One of the co-workers in the middle seats turned his head, smirking.

"What's gotten into you?" he asked, quietly.

The stewardess briefly glanced over. "She was cute…" she dismissed, shrugging. Before long, the other cubs had woken, and it was up to the stewardess to keep them entertained so the pilots could fly without being disturbed. But all the sleepy things needed was the flat-screen t.v. up front, and they were good watching cartoons for twenty minutes.

The abrupt turbulence startled Nani and the others. In seconds they scrambled to the windows, looking out. The cub's jaws dropped. They were below the clouds, and could see endless mountains before them. They were taller than any skyscraper, and some poked their tips up into the clouds. Along the ground were rolling green fields with many highs and lows. The early morning fog though made it dark and misty, all the more making the fresh country look interesting and new.

A sign near the front of the plane flashed 'buckle up', causing the stewardess to clap her hands once.

"Alright everyone, back to your seats."

As if it were some sort of thrill ride, the cubs rushed back to their seats and buckled up. Except for Nani, she only sat in her seat but didn't buckle. She wouldn't be able to look out the window otherwise. It was a weird, odd feeling again to feel the plane's descent. But soon, the plane rolled along the ground in an open field. Slowly, it rolled to a stop and Xanatos' men began unloading the bags from the storage above.

All the cubs cluttered by the door, eager to be let out. With held breaths, and to the workers' amusement, the doors opened and the cubs didn't waste any time flying out to the grass. Nani followed behind them, running down the short stairs. At first, they all paused at the cold, dewy grass. Then moments later they were all play-fighting and wrestling around in it. Nani settled for rubbing her fur through the grass since she liked the feeling.

The slow whine of tire brakes making a stop nearby had her popping her head up. An old green truck had stopped a little ways off, and a man and woman climbed out. Nani couldn't help but lean down, hiding in the grass. The last time she'd come across strangers, she fell off a building. But…these two looked nice.

The young woman resembled Aunt Elisa, only she had shorter hair. She wore a pretty green dress with a belt buckle across her small waist. The man with her was dark skinned and tall, and Nani could tell underneath his plaid red shirt he was very strong. His hair was short, and he seemed in awe of all the cubs, but not hostile.

The woman leaned close to the man, whispering. "You always did want kids."

The man raised a brow, lips quirking up. "I know we could only adopt, but six...uh… mutants?"

"They're family Jonathan. You know that." She chuckled. Soon they greeted the representative from Xanatos. The cubs couldn't hear what they discussed, but most likely the couple had heard it before because they nodded, but still had perfect attention.

"We understand." The man nodded, gesturing aside. "Go ahead and load up the back with their things."

So as the men carried the bags to the truck, making only a few trips back and forth, the couple approached the cubs. Gradually their smiles fell. "I thought there were six. I'm counting five." The man whispered, eyes darting around. The woman turned and saw the tufts of black fur poking out from the grass. Slowly, wide, cautious blue eyes lifted from the grass. Nani was small enough to hide pretty good.

"Oh, there's six." The woman smiled, looking at them all. "Well, uh, children," she cleared her throat, "my name is Beth Maza. I'm _Talon's_ sister." She introduced, folding her hands over her lap. The boys had since stopped wrestling, instead now panting since the two had come up.

"Cool, more clan-buddies!" Tom laughed, causing the couple to look amused as they shared a glance. Beth Maza's smile was still not entirely confident. "A-And this is my husband, Jonathan. I work as a therapist, and he works the ranch you'll be staying at."

"How long?" One of the cubs piped up.

Beth's smile fell gradually, uncertain. At least till Jonathan spoke up. "It doesn't matter. When you see how fun it is, you'll wanna stay here forever."

That seemed to work to get them all excited, causing Beth to look at him thankfully. "Now," Jonathan continued, "care to introduce yourselves?"

The cubs seemed to scramble upright in a makeshift military line. From the far end, they began. "Johnny!" The darkest, seemingly oldest cub shouted. His younger brother had a few lighter splotches in his fur, the only difference aside from an inch or two. "James!"

"Tom." A clear tiger cub smiled, and a near look-alike responded with "T.J." Both of them shyly looked up. A few inches shorter was their younger brother, who answered with a giggle in his voice. "Cyrus!"

The brief silence caused them all to look over, and once so, Nani jumped and hid back into the grass. Beth's features softened and she walked over, bending down before the grass. "Honey? You don't have to hide… I'm your aunt Beth." She smiled.

After a few moments, the cub slowly peaked out from the grass, still not sure what to think. But…the woman's smile was pretty nice… and she did look like Elisa. The cub eventually lifted her arms to be picked up. Beth's smile grew as she picked her up, leaving the cub to eventually look curiously at her husband.

"You must be…Nani?"

That caused the cub to look back at Beth, letting the woman confirm it. "She's a baby and don't talk much." Johnny pointed out, crossing his arms. Jonathan chuckled and settled his hands on his hips, briefly noting the thumbs up from the workers returning to the plane.

"Well, everyone ready for a ride?"

Immediately the boys started yelling and cheering, racing another to the truck. Somehow they all managed to clamber into the backseats. Cyrus though ended up sitting on the floorboards, giggling happily once he found old cookies there. The couple returned to the truck, and once they buckled Beth kept Nani in her lap. She gave her husband a readying smile.

Jonathan only glanced in the rear-view mirror at all the commotion, and breathed in slowly through his nose.

With a buckle the truck started up, and they were off through the fields. "You know when you got the call, I partially thought you were joking."

Beth looked out the window. "You knew about my family, though."

"Yeah but, that's the city. Out here… I didn't think it would be so… so _real_."

Beth soothed down Nani's hair, figuring it would need to be brushed soon. Then she admired the soft brown fur by gently stroking it. Like magic, Nani turned to puddy and almost dozed. Jonathan did a double take at the sleepy baby face his direction, chuckling.

"But it's a good real… They are family, after all."

This caused Beth to smile…and feel much better inside. Along the way the truck bumped into a few holes, causing the rowdy boys to complain- not that they could get any louder. At James' sharp _**yeowch**_ when he hit the ceiling, it caused Jonathan to glance back in the mirror.

"Lesson learned, huh? Buckle up."

All the cubs could do was mutter and nudge each other for more space. At long last the ride slowed down, and the off-road grass turned to a gravel driveway. It led up with a slight incline till the truck stopped. Small furry faces pressed against the windows, soon in awe.

It was a large, two story cabin. There was a large wrap around porch with chairs and other decorations on it. Immediately the boys started cheering and scrambled out the open windows, not even bothering to open the doors. For miles around the house were large, endless fields, and most of them had fencing for cattle and other livestock. There were a few shacks for each species.

The gravel under the boys' feet skid in all directions as they ran, suddenly freezing at once.

"CHICKEN!" James death-cried, and like a blur of rabid felines they took off skidding after the poor thing. The chicken shed a few feathers when it jumped, _bawking_ out in horror, and took off for dear life. Nani chuckled as she watched from Beth's arms the sight.

The area was a mess of chicken squawking, children laughing and dirt and gravel being kicked up.

"Day one, it's already a mad house." Jonathan sighed.

Beth chuckled under her breath. "Welcome home, kids."

Nani squirmed then, letting out little whines and looking around. Beth felt the gurgle in her stomach and blinked. "Good thing we have leftovers. Here, watch the kids while I warm it up." The woman placed the cub in his surprised arms, and hurried inside.

This left Nani looking up at the man, curiously taking in his features. He didn't know what to do and gulped. "Uh…hi… How old are you?"

"Three." Nani chirped, tilting her head. "...How old you?" she asked, shyly hiding her mouth with her hands. Jonathan slowly relaxed and spoke gently. "Thirty."

"Woah.." the cub murmured without intending to. Jonathan bit his lip to keep from laughing and turned his head. "How come you don't play with them? Don't like the boys?"

"Messy!" Nani stated quickly, and looked down at her light blue dress, carefully soothing it out. Apparently she was very firm in keeping clean, and her stubborn eyes proved that she wasn't getting dirty. Taking notice of that pout, Jonathan laughed and nodded. "Yes ma'am, you won't be getting dirty then."

Nani seemed satisfied and looked over when the front door creaked open. "Breakfast!" Beth called.

There was a silence that had the two looking around. All the sudden, there was a wave of fur rounding the corner, all the boys scrambling around and slipping under their feet. Like a mad rush they scrambled inside, following their noses. Jonathan shook his head as he went inside.

"You handle the boys. I'll get little Nani her plate." Beth pulled the child up into her own arms and headed to the kitchen.

"Oh, you get the easier part." The man rolled his eyes.

After an eventful breakfast, Beth took a slow breath. "Alright, everyone, we need to have a talk."

James stood up in his chair. "It's not THE talk is it?" he asked, horrified.

"No way! Girls are nasty!" Johnny squealed, shaking his head. The rest of the cubs thankfully didn't understand. "No," Jonathan began, "now please, sit down and be quiet."

So, they reluctantly sat down and watched as the couple nodded to another.

"The truth is, your parents sent you on this _vacation_, was for your safety." Jonathan started, till Beth cleared her throat and took over. "You children remember the new year?" she smiled.

Immediately their eyes lit up, amid various confirmations.

"Well… you remember how everyone acted a bit silly?" she led on, glancing at her husband. Jonathan realized what she was doing. Redirecting the reason to something less…startling than the truth. "The thing is, everyone in New York is going to help those people, and, and… it's no place for kids. So until everyone is helped, you'll be here." Beth innocently explained, bubbly and believable.

Surprisingly, the children didn't question it.

Jonathan continued and stood. "Now, why don't you guys go grab your bags and pick out your rooms upstairs?" he winked. Immediately the boys hollered and made their way up the wooden stairs to nab the biggest rooms. Nani though stood up from her chair, shaking her messy hands.

"Bath!" she demanded.

"I guess that's a good idea." Beth chuckled to her husband. It was funny seeing the cute, big eyed cub so serious. Nani looked very stern and demanding as she expected to be cleaned. "Alright little lady, let's get you cleaned." That caused her to perk as Beth picked her up and headed upstairs. She called out as she entered the bathroom.

"You guys are getting a cleaning once you're settled!"

Jonathan had to laugh as the group of boys instantly yowled and complained. He then figured he'd help them with their bags. As for the girls, Nani was very pleased to have the whole tub filled with bubbles and other good smelling things. Plus, her new Aunt Beth was very helpful in cleaning her. It wasn't long though before Beth tilted her head.

"Huh… I thought all you cubs had wings?"

Nani dropped the water toy in her hands, abruptly shaking her head. "Nope."

Beth furrowed her brows. "You don't want to fly?"

Nani looked at all the bubbles for a moment, and instead of answering, she dove her head underwater and stirred the mountain of bubbles. Before the woman could think long, the door swung open, and there stood Jonathan with his arms filled with the boys. "I had to catch them all, make way!"

Beth scrambled aside, and luckily at the last moment Nani scrambled out of the tub, shrieking at the sight of the filthy cubs.

"No messy no messy!"

It wasn't hard to track the birthday suit wearing cub with the tiny bubble prints left everywhere.

"Now I know your parents told you this was a vacation, but since you all will be living here, that entails certain chores to be done."

Normally, the cubs would have complained, but they didn't dare move from their straight line. Jonathan had his plaid red shirt rolled up the elbow, and with his cowboy hat on, his face looked darker and more intimidating. The shine in his eyes kept them in order. All of them except for Cyrus and Nani were there, because they were too little for much chores. Instead, they watched from the porch, munching on cookies and drinking sweet tea. Well, Cyrus was eating and giggling at his brothers' misery.

Nani was busy catching up on a nap in Beth's lap. Not that the woman minded. It was nice in the shade with her rocking chair, lulling the youngest cub into her deep sleep. Beth had dressed the cub in a small floral pink dress, but Nani liked being barefoot, so she didn't wear any booties. Her braid had been redone and brushed, and hung over her shoulder. A small, cute pink bow sat behind her left ear. Cyrus, much like his brothers, wore their little cowboy outfits consisting of overalls, boots, and plaid shirts.

Beth's smile briefly wavered as she watched her husband. It would have been nice if she could have kids of her own, but Jonathan's condition would never allow that. But it didn't stop them from planning. They would adopt kids, and had the clothes now to prove it. Their house was large from their good jobs, with plenty of land. It was perfect for a large family. Only now, this situation wasn't exactly as planned…

Yet, as the woman glanced down to the dear cub sleeping against her, and the second youngest eating cookies by her skirt, she couldn't complain.

The ranch was definitely lively now.

"The work around here will be based on abilities, and weaknesses. With time you will all become better suited to life around here, and helping out."

One cub raised his hand, smirking.

Jonathan let out a breath. "Yes, Johnny?"

"Were you a drill sergeant?"

As they snickered, the young man only smiled. "Since you mention it, I can be." Then, he put his fingers to his mouth and whistled. The sharp noise caused the boys to jump, Cyrus to cough on his cookie, and Nani to sleepily look around till Beth shushed her back to sleep.

"First things first, taking care of the animals."

Jonathan guided them to the barns, showing them how to clean, replace hay, and make sure everything was in order. For those two hours of cleaning each animal barn, there was no lack of whining and occasionally throwing cow patties at another. By the end though they had quieted down, tired.

"Good." Jonathan dusted off his hands. "Next time you fellas can wear gloves." He smirked. "Moving on, the animals themselves. Around here we let them out at sunrise, and herd them in at dusk. The animals know the way, so don't be mean to them or lose your patience."

"If they know the way, why do they need us?" Tom asked.

"Because son, these lands may be beautiful, but there's also plenty predators."

That caused the boys to tense up. "Like what?" James taunted, boldly crossing his arms. But his heart was starting to race though.

Jonathan looked off. "See those woods in the lowlands, at the base of the mountains?"

The kids had to fly up a few feet, but their eyes grew when they saw it. "You kids must never go near there. That's where the wolves, bears, and mountain lions live."

"Are they like us?" T.J asked curiously, his eyes growing big as saucers.

"Oh no." Jonathan warned gravely. "I'd rather scare you kids with the truth than pretend it doesn't exist. Those are wild animals down there. And they won't hesitate to attack anything if they're hungry enough… even little cubs like you guys. That's why we have to bring the herds in."

Johnny's knees were shaking, but he managed to put on a tough act. "S-So why don't you have a shepherd dog? Y'know, that can scare them off?"

"Oh, I do. Just make sure you guys don't run off."

"_Puh-lease_!"

So, Jonathan whistled again, and from under the porch came a massive dog. The boys all yelled and backed up into each other, leaning away as much as they could from the beast.

"I thought you had a dog, not a horse!" Johnny panicked. His fur was bristling to make him look like a puff ball.

"Hey, Duke here is a dog… He's just a Great Dane. Say hi Duke." The tall dog towered over the cubs, paused, and began slobbering all over them.

From the porch, Cyrus' deep belly laugh could be heard at the sight. By then, Nani woke up and rubbed her eyes. The cub yawned and sat upright, looking around. Beth leaned forward.

"Have any good dreams?"

Nani sleepily continued looking, before looking at Beth confused. "Where's mama?"

"Oh… sweetie, we're in Montana… she's still in the city…"

Nani's eyes fell downcast, and she kept silent for a while. "Call? Phone?"

Beth's eyebrows knitted, remembering the harsh reminder given to her. There would be no forms of contact, and any of it would be given by Xanatos. Even then, it would be rare as to avoid any tracing from Gen-U-Tech. Everyone would have to be very careful.

"No, sweetie, I'm afraid we can't call her." The young woman sympathized, hating to deny the gentle young cub.

"Oh." Was all Nani said, fiddling with her fingers. "…write?"

"You can write?"

Nani shook her head. "No… but learn. Write letter to mama!" she perked. Nani didn't understand why Beth suddenly looked so upset, nor why her eyes watered. But she accepted the hug from the woman, figuring Beth needed it for some reason.

Every day that week, Nani asked the same questions, before the three-year-old figured it would never change.

Nani stopped asking about her mama, because she figured she would never see her again anyway.


	5. The First Summer

Every day had become a little more comfortable, and with Spring gone, and Summer nearing its end, life was going well at the ranch. The children had all made amazing progress and even grew to like some of the chores. Johnny and his younger brother were still loud and arrogant at times, but their caretakers had noticed how the two brothers loved the animals. Early every morning those two would be out, just at sunrise, and the first to take care of all the animals. It was touching to see those two tough cubs talking to the cattle, petting them, and encouraging the new calves to walk.

Tom and T.J were more detail oriented, Jonathan and Beth had learned. They liked working on the fences, and learning about managing the garden in the backyard. It certainly took a work-load off Beth's shoulders. Between her part time job and being the 'mother', she was delighted to find the garden thriving because of the two. The twins were never happier than when they could present the fruit bowls in the house filled with fresh produce they raised.

Cyrus was growing, but not old enough for most chores. He had developed an odd compulsion to clean when he saw how many flies and ants his left-out cookies attracted. Maybe he felt the need to protect his beloved foods at first, yet now he just liked to clean. Simple as that. He wasn't allowed to use harsh cleaners, but he was a determined young cub.

Nani had grown a few inches with the warm months of the year. She'd spent her days doing small chores, all of which she'd grown to like. Such as milking the old, mellow cows, picking flowers to decorate the house with, and take Duke out for walks. Mostly though she just rode him like a horse…

The day the first chilly wind strode through the mountains, was the day Beth Maza had a look on her face that worried the cubs. She had a box full of papers and folders, all of which the cubs didn't want to look at.

"Guys, it's that time of year. Now, you should know Jonathan appreciates all the work you do. In fact, your good behavior has earned a bit of…rewards."

The cubs all leaned over the table they sat at, wide eyed, and ears perked. Beth smirked. "You guys remember Mr. Xanatos?"

Instantly the cubs cheered and made other excited noises. Beth laughed and quieted them down. "Well, he called a few days ago and when I told him how good you've all been, he's decided to fund each one of you having a hobby. Anything you guys want, he's going to give you a private tutor for."

The couple expected the loud yelling and fists slamming on the table. "But guys!" She held up her hand, snapping her fingers. "He's only letting you have them if you stay on good behavior. That being said, aside from your chores being shortened, you'll spend most of the day starting… school!"

The silence was thick enough to hear a pin drop.

Beth Maza crossed her arms. "You want those tutors right?"

They all looked guilty.

"Well, you guys have to have some form of education. Since I'm guessing you guys have no former education, you'll all start off with a kindergarten tutor. Nani, you'll have one for preschool." Of course, Nani didn't understand much, but she figured 'school' wasn't good judging by the others…

Finally, Tom stood up in his chair. "Okay, I'll do school… What can my hobby tutor be though?"

"Anything you want." Beth smiled. "After your chores and school, you can have the weekends to yourselves doing whatever you please."

All the cubs thoughtfully considered it. Surprisingly, Nani jumped out of her seat and scrambled to the desk nearby. Then, she pulled out a magazine, flipped through it, and suddenly held up a page. Beth and Jonathan shared a smile.

"You want to do gymnastics?"

"Nastics!" Nani shouted, jumping up and down. Jonathan chuckled and wrote it down on a piece of paper. "Alright, the rest of you?"

"I wanna be a cowboy!" Johnny shouted, standing up in his chair. "Ride horses n bulls, and get shiny buckles!"

Jonathan paused. "I actually think there's something like that for youngsters… Next?"

James rubbed the back of his head. "Uh… I like fixing animals."

"Animal healthcare, nice!"

Tom perked up. "I like running the fields… soccer?"

Jonathan nodded, and in no time T.J piped up. "Basketball."

"I always wondered what that thumping against the house was.. We'll get you a new ball too." Beth teased. "Cyrus?"

The chunky cub giggled and pointed at the kitchen. "Cooking!"

"Culinary." Jonathan chuckled. His wife looked at the list, and they both looked all the cubs over. "You guys settled in your choices?"

The cubs nodded. "Great! Whenever he calls again, I'll get him set up, and he'll send some private tutors out. Your school tutor will be arriving this Monday, and teaching here. Will you guys be ready and on good behavior?" Jonathan mused.

More or less, they all agreed.

The days felt tense until that Monday morning. Early, as the children were now used to for chores, they were up and dressed nicely from their usual ranch clothes. Since it was a nice tutor hired from Xanatos himself, the couple felt the need for the children to be dressed well. Average, but nice. All the children sat at the dining table after breakfast, the table cleared, and sitting quietly. Odd enough to see, but they all felt the same nerves.

The knock on the front door left them all staring around the corner to the entrance. The homeowners greeted them, apparently by the sound of it a young man. They watched as he was welcomed inside and brought over. Beth clapped her hands once. "Kids, this is your tutor. He'll teach you everything you'll need for preschool and kindergarten. Okay?"

Soon Beth turned, grabbing her purse. "I've got to get to work." She nodded, smiling to the children as she hurried out. Jonathan loosely crossed his arms. "Mr. Edwards, I'll be outside working if you need anything. I don't think they'll be any trouble for you. Be firm with the older boys if you need, but like I said I doubt they'll be difficult." Jonathan smiled, looking the cubs once over. Then, with that, he turned and headed out the back door. The cubs instinctively leaned after him, wanting to work outside, but they figured their routines would be different now.

One by one, they all looked at Mr. Edwards. He was young and sharp dressed, obviously someone from Xanatos' choice. He smiled kindly. "Let's get started, shall we…? When I report back to Mr. Xanatos at the end of the week, and give him your choice of hobbies, I'm sure your parents will like to be given your letters, crafts and other such things."

The cubs collectively drew in sharp breaths. But Nani raised her hand. The amused man nodded to her.

"Aunt Beth say mama and daddy don't wanna us no more!"

The tutor furrowed his brows. "No, dear, I don't think that's what she meant. We… we set up a way that's safe… so you can contact your parents. Don't you want to?"

"No!"

Suddenly, the youngest cub bolted from the table and ran upstairs. The rest of them were shocked, but they had to consider it. Even Johnny looked hesitant. "Mr. Edwards…how come they never called us anyway? There were phone booths in the sewers."

The tutor sighed. "It's not that simple-"

"If it was handling crazy people about Y2K, why would it take half a year to handle?" Tom asked softly.

Mr. Edwards thinned his lips. "Children, this is something to talk to your adoptive parents ab-"

"We've been adopted?!" T.J panicked, jumping back in his seat. Amid the cubs starting to argue, Cyrus got watery eyes. "I miss my mama and papa!"

It seems all the commotion got Jonathan's attention. He was wide eyed coming inside and seeing the cubs either crying or fighting back tears. "What's going on?"

Mr. Edwards knitted his brows, turning his head considerately. "I'm afraid since the cubs have started to consider how long it's been… they've become terribly homesick."

Jonathan rubbed a hand down his face.

"Bethy _had_ to go into work _today_…"

That weekend, there was nothing waiting for the parents in New York. They had been told of the tutor, and were beyond thrilled with their cubs having the opportunity to learn. Even more so, they were both astonished yet happy they were doing well on the ranch and had developed their hobbies. Yet they'd been told when the teacher returned with the report, they would have something from their kids.

But there was nothing.

It not only broke their hearts when Xanatos told them, it crushed them when told the cubs thought they'd been abandoned. Xanatos fell silent after he explained, unable to meet their broken looks.

Talon swallowed hard. "I knew we were being too cautious. Too fearful for our children. Now they think this…" he growled, fighting back tears. Maggie hid her face in her hands. "I want her back, Talon. I can't stand it anymore!" she cried.

The panther breathed slowly, listening as Xanatos began. "I think we've been making a mountain out of an ant hill. I understand Sevarius has built up his work since he's been silent over the years, but that doesn't mean he has the upper hand. As a parent myself… I understand. The precautions. But you can't let those safety measures ruin the relationship with your children."

Xanatos watched as they seemed to agree. Even the loudmouth, obnoxious Fang was quiet. He seemed to have lost his talent for being annoying after his cubs left.

"What can we do?" Talon asked, dejected.

"I think there's only one real thing you can do." Xanatos mused, his lips quirking upwards.

The parents' eyes widened, slowly perking up. Fang's loud voice startled them. "Hell ya! I'm gonna see my boys again!" he laughed. Talon looked over his shoulder. "That's the first time in months you've been lively, Fang."

Of course the lynx ignored him.

"So how about it, hm? First thing Sunday night, you guys head out to Montana with their teacher, and also their hobby tutors. I'm sure the cubs will be thrilled having you guys for a week."

Talon's smile gradually fell. "But…what about the labyrinth?"

"I'll have my robots keeping order while you're gone. Trust me, Sevarius won't even think about it."

Maggie let out a deep breath. "How I wish that man would be rid of, _once and for all_."

Xanatos lowered his eyes. "How often I've thought of that… Unfortunately, these days, stamping out one pest often means another sprouting up in its place."

Talon warily looked at the man until he turned. "Let's return home. We have some preparing to do." Talon was the last to leave the room, but not before looking over his shoulder at Xanatos.

Xanatos was busy glaring at his desk.


	6. Reunited

They watched the private plane take off from a distant rooftop. On it were the cub's parents, their teacher, and each tutor Xanatos had carefully chosen for their hobbies. One for Gymnastics, children's Culinary work, veterinary work, basketball, soccer, and for training in the southern rodeo arts.

The gargoyles smiled as the plane went off into the night sky. All of them sat or stood together, watching until the plane was no more than distant lights.

Hudson listened to the small breeze pass by. "It's hard to believe they've been gone half a year now… I wonder how much they've grown."

Bronx whimpered at his feet, soon plopping on his belly. Lexington patted the gar-dog's head. "I know boy, we all miss them."

"When do you think they can visit us, father?" Angela asked their leader, hopeful.

Goliath continued looking out at the dark, moonless night. "There is no telling, I'm afraid. Talon and his clan have every right to fear for their children. Sevarius is not to be taken lightly… I fear it may be years before those cubs return."

"Do you really think handling Sevarius would take that long?" Brooklyn gawked.

Goliath let his eyes drop. "I fear Xanatos is withholding information on the matter… I have known him long enough to know. His…_poker face_, is easy for me to read."

"You don't think he's working with that crazy guy again, do you?" Broadway slowly asked, suspicious.

"No." Goliath answered, shortly. "In that time since he once worked with him, Xanatos has built allies, and more importantly, has started a family. He knows the love that comes with that, and wouldn't dare to get in the way of something so precious… I only wonder why Xanatos has kept this matter to himself."

"Maybe he's feeling guilty." Elisa's voice surprised them as she reached the rooftop. "Sorry, just got off my shift… I meant to give them my letter to Nani. Guess it'll have to wait, again." she murmured.

Goliath's smile slowly fell. "How do you mean he's guilty?"

Elisa crossed her arms. "Well, he did help Sevarius to turn my brother and the others into giant cats. Maybe he feels like he needs to take care of the crazy doctor himself."

"I have no doubt Xanatos has the power… it's his hesitation and thoughts that trouble me. Xanatos is not a man often troubled."

"Yeah, I know." The woman frowned. "I think we'll just have to go talk to him ourselves."

"The sooner the better." Brooklyn piped up, smashing his fists together. "…I just really miss those little guys." He sighed.

The matter settled, they flew back to the tower. Meanwhile, miles up in the sky, the mutates and their partners had yet to stop chatting up their children's tutors. They couldn't believe some of the interests their cubs had taken up.

Fang was breathless in laughter. "M-My boys, messing with cattle." He wheezed. "I think they changed too much~"

The teacher chuckled. "I heard on the first day, those two chased chickens and gave every livestock creature heart attacks."

The lynx let out a long, winded breath. "That's my boys." He breathed.

Maggie held her knees, eagerly sitting upright. "I'd have never thought Nani would like gymnastics. She always wanted to be a princess." She smiled, looking at the gymnastics coach. Maggie felt much reassurance the kind older woman would be looking after her cub on the weekends. The silent Claw only smiled, looking forward to the landing as much as any other.

The rodeo coach whistled, looking out the window and tipping his ten-gallon hat. "You Yankees sure got some big bats in these parts. I ain't ever seen wings so big, 'cept on you fine folks."

Talon furrowed his brows. "I don't think bats would fly this close to a plane."

"Why, I reckon not, but I's figure something be flying out there. Ya'll leave one of ya friends out there?" he laughed, slapping his knee. It took half a second for the mutants to grow pale.

"No." Talon answered gravely. "Everyone, get down and hang onto your seats. Fang, Claw, to the windows. Maggie, tell the pilots and crew to brace themselves."

"You don't think-" Maggie began fearfully.

"Yes, exactly what Xanatos was afraid of." Talon bared his teeth readily as the plane suddenly jolted. Something hard landed on top of the plane.

The panther bitterly glared up at the roof.

"Sevarius has sent mutates after us."

There were only five seconds of calm to prepare themselves. The emergency exit ripped open with a screech, and in the darkness, two pairs of glowing eyes glared into the plane. The strange lion mutates weren't allowed a foot inside before Talon tackled them out into the darkness. When Claw and Fang ran to back him up, Maggie grabbed their arms.

"No! You must ensure the plane gets to Montana safely!"

"But what about Talon?!" Fang roared, just itching to fight.

"I will help him. Fang, _please_." The lioness begged, clutching his arm. The bobcat swallowed hard, looking at the fearful humans that depended on them. They would need to stay and protect them, and guard the exit from sucking anyone out.

Maggie swiped her eyes free of tears, now glaring out the open door to aid her husband. "Tell my cub I love her… and I'm sorry." Then, Maggie jumped out of the plane, flying as fast as she could to help Talon fight. Fang looked out into the darkness for a long minute. Then, he withdrew, eyes downcast.

"Claw… get the phone… tell the others they need to help those two, and know what Sevarius has done." After a moment, he paused when the tiger stared at him. "Oh, right. You guard the door, I'll make the call." He huffed, exchanging places with the mute feline. As peace thankfully followed in the plane, it was anything but for the mutates left behind, now fighting to subdue the strong strangers. They all fell through the air, wrestling, clawing, and batting their wings ferociously. And in the darkness, they hadn't realized how far they'd fallen till they broke through branches.

Painfully they fell, but the ground offered no comfort for battle. But the couple saw perfectly through the dark, and more accustomed to their bodies than the strangers, they were able to maneuver and outsmart the attackers. With a powerful swing of his fists, Talon roared and knocked the two lion mutants out cold. Both he and Maggie panted for breath.

The two looked at another, making sure they were alright. After they had bound the two up, they spent a well-deserved break together catching their breath, and resting after the unexpected tussle. Talon ended up glaring up at the sky, frustrated.

When one of the lions started to wake, Talon glared over. "Shut up." And kicked him in the head to silence him. Maggie leaned against the panther's arm, holding it tighter and tighter.

Her soft crying was lost to the crickets and tree frogs.

* * *

When the bus was visible coming up the driveway, the ranch echoed with screaming. The children had endured the long, tormenting weekend, and that Monday morning they were finally going to meet their tutors. Even if they wouldn't start their hobbies till next weekend, they were happy to learn what they would be doing.

But when the bus parked, the children were told to stay on the porch. So they waited, and oddly enough, the tutors didn't get out.

Their parents did instead.

Luckily Beth and Jonathan had covered their ears when the sharp shrieking of the children scared the livestock up to a half mile away. It was a blur of small wings beating the air, and dirt being torn up by bare feet running across it. The couple had to brush themselves clean, but were too happy to care.

The little cubs almost knocked their parents down with more strength than the mutates remembered. Fang was doing his crying laughter, absolutely thrilled to have his cubs again. He wrestled them to the ground in his strong arms, but they gave surprising strength to try and overpower him. Fang loved the wrestle, uncaring of the dirt. Claw had picked up all three of his boys in his arms, holding the purring bunch closer to him and their mother. The tiger had to chuckle seeing Cyrus with a few more furry rolls under his collar. Claw butted his head to theirs, a silent but loving greeting.

In all the familiar faces, Nani quickly turned her head this way and that, even going around the bus a few times.

"Mama? Daddy!" she called, even picking up her skirt and looking under the bus. The confused cub then scrambled inside the bus, looking past the faces of the quiet tutors. She looked at every seat, and scrambled to the front as if there would be enough space there.

It had escaped her notice Mr. Edwards had gone to the house, quietly talking to Jonathan and Beth. Jonathan murmured a quiet 'oh no', while Beth ran her hands through her hair. "Is my brother okay?"

"We don't know. With any luck, Mr. Xanatos will inform us... _if_ he knows. They left the plane somewhere upstate of New York."

Beth fell into her husband's chest, trying to be calm. But something else hadn't even crossed their mind, at least until Nani was before them.

The cub was looking at the ground, oddly silent with all the laughing and fun going on behind them. Beth reached out, but stopped herself as Nani went by. The cub pulled the bow out of her hair, dropping it on the floor, and headed to bed.

Beth's eyebrows were knitted upwards, feeling horrible inside. Jonathan nudged her side. "Hun, we've got to meet the parents. Show them around… Both of us."

The woman was slow to look ahead. Her smile felt like a thousand pounds. "… I know."

So Beth Maza and her husband greeted the new arrivals, and after showing them around, the cubs were eager to show off what they knew. Johnny and James almost dragged Fang with them to the barns. "We take care of the big cattle, and I'm gonna ride that mean old bull one day!" Johnny confidently stated. Fang smirked. "Ah, he don't look too bad. Watch this." The cubs lifted their heads and watched as Fang jumped up to the beams above, quietly making his way over to the bull. The boys seemed to have a shred more wisdom and climbed the walls to get out of the way.

Seconds later and a furious bull roar later, the creature bucked out of his pen and raced outside. Fang was left laughing without a care in the world, keeping an arm in the air. "Yee-haw buddy!" he laughed. "This is how ya do it!"

From up the hill, Tom and T.J watched with their father. "That didn't take long." Tom stated, dryly. "Anyway, come look at the garden. We've been helping take care of it, and we cleaned the area around so we both can play our sports." The twins explained to their happy, watchful father. Claw looked at Cyrus on his shoulder. The chubby cub had snuggled into his neck, as close as he could be, purring away.

Beth watched it all from the window. "Jonathan… I want to be happy for them so bad… but my brother, Nani's father… The poor cub's heart is breaking. I could see it."

"I know… but we have to-"

The phone on the wall suddenly rang. Jonathan kissed his wife's cheek and went to answer it. "Hello?"

A few moments later, he sighed heavily. "I understand, yes, I'll tell them… Of course, thank you."

When he hung up, his wife was looking at him expectantly.

"That was Mr. Xanatos." He got out, looking out the window. "He just wanted to let us know Talon and Maggie are alright. They called from a phone booth, got Xanatos to send a car out to em and bring them back. He wasn't keen on the details, but they brought the attackers back to the tower. That's about it."

"Well can they come back? Nani has to see her parents, Jonathan."

The man rubbed the back of his neck, pursing his lips. "That's the thing, Beth." His brown eyes were hesitant to meet hers. "When the mutants go home, they're not coming back… and… that stands for vise-versa, too."

Beth lost her breath and stumbled back into the counter. "No… _no_-"

"Beth… there's a lot going on in New York. More than Xanatos expected, apparently… We're going to have to come up with a better excuse than Y2K, because those cubs are never going to see their families again."

The kitchen suddenly fell silent.

Nani was standing in the doorway in her nightgown. The clay flower-pot she'd made for her mother dropped from her hands, shattering to the floor loudly.

Those were words that echoed in Nani's head long after the mutates returned to New York, their cubs unaware it would be the first and last visit.

For twenty long years, Nani wished she could forget.


	7. Cubs No More

It took no more than a small breath to propel herself through the air, between the branches, with only the form a highly trained athlete could manage. Like a whistle she sailed straight upwards, and angling her body, she landed on the thick branch. Her bare feet slid against the bark, nails just barely inching out for a tight grip.

The humanoid cat spoke into her radio. "I've got eyes on the bull. I'm going to scare him your way."

"Roger that Nana-bear." Came a chirpy voice.

The woman turned her head, looking past the strands of dirty blonde hair that flew into her eyes from its long braid. Sharp, catlike blue eyes watched the roaming bull make its way through the woods. With her dark blue t-shirt and blue jeans, she was hardly visible jumping across the branches, tail whipping behind her. She scurried down the tree like a silent squirrel, and when the bull was feet away, she raced out onto the ground in front of him and sprang up to her feet, roaring with all the strength she could muster.

Birds flew out of their nests, and the bull reared up on his back legs. Immediately he started back towards the ranch. The woman let out a breath into her radio. "Heading your way. Better have those gates wide and open Tom."

"You doubt me? Oh, that hurts."

Nani pushed the hair back from her eyes, allowing herself to enjoy the walk back to the ranch. "I'm not saying you're _stupid_… But you did look around for your glasses last night, right when they were behind your ears."

"… how was I supposed to know Cyrus put catnip in my dinner? That stuff always clouds my judgement!"

"Well you shouldn't have insulted his weight. I'm out." She turned off her radio, peering ahead in time to see Tom close the gate behind the lost bull. From the porch, Jonathan watched, smiling. The wrinkles and decades past of hard work allowed him to rest more these days. Every day he was thankful for his furry family taking such good care of things.

Nani met up to the tiger at his side, where they promptly continued their argument. "I mean, I know the guy likes to cook, but I'm worried for his health." Tom frowned. "Baby fat was fine twenty years ago…you can't tell me that jiggle is kitten chub."

"You can't make him do hard work like the rest of us. We're all talented differently." Nani gritted out, muttering incline under her breath as they walked up the hill. Tom let out a dry laugh. "Well, he's more talented than Johnny. All that cat is good for is drinking-"

Nani sharply looked over, and that was the end of that. Tom would have carefully pressed on the matter, but they had reached the porch by then. Jonathan gave them big, iced glasses full of tea.

"You cubs are getting better every day."

Tom shyly smiled, tipping back his hat. "Well we were raised by the best."

Nani flicked his hat off his head. "Suck up."

"Hey! That's an expensive ten-gallon!"

"_Children_," Jonathan reprimanded, "where are the others?"

Tom dusted his hat off, pouting. "Cyrus went shopping for groceries. T.J is out trimming the weeds along the fences, and me and Nana-bear are here." He smiled. The older man's smile briefly faltered. He would have liked having two of the eldest living here again, but… They had left long ago.

It was a small town, and with time long ago, the town had accepted the cubs. They were like any local in town now, well known, and accepted. And it was also a well-known fact that Johnny and his brother lived in the local bar's second level. They both worked there, and it wasn't a secret Johnny had a problem putting the bottle down after every paycheck. The only reason James put up with that was because he was scared of leaving his older brother alone…

It was hard on all of them, but Johnny would never come back.

Nani cleared her throat, putting a stop to where their thoughts were heading. "Is Aunt Beth on the way home?"

Jonathan nodded. "She called a few minutes ago. Should be home in twenty or so minutes. Cyrus should be back with dinner by then. I love that boy's timing." He chuckled.

The two licked their lips, simultaneously listening to their stomachs growl. Luckily Cyrus returned at that moment, calling the two to the truck to help with groceries. Tom flew over every fence in the way, leaving Nani to run and jump over them. Cyrus had put on a bit of weight over the years, but it could easily be mistaken for having a big frame. "Stuff's in the back. Hurry now. I won't have that on-sale ice cream melting on account of you slow pokes." He made clear, raising his brows.

Cyrus was a very no-nonsense feline, but always loving and fun. When it came to groceries though, the family did as told. The two sighed as they hauled the heavy groceries up and headed inside. Cyrus was busy putting some things away. "It'll be ready in five minutes. Ya'll better get T.J too. Also, someone move the truck. I didn't mean to take Aunt Beth's spot."

Nani swiped the keys before Tom could. "He's _your_ twin." She reminded, smiling as she headed out. Tom groaned, knowing he'd have to fly over those long stinking fields so his brother would hear. Nani moved the truck to its rightful place, and then made herself comfortable on top of it. The mutant stared off down the driveway, waiting for the glimmer of a car to reflect off the sun. She liked doing that every other day, greeting Aunt Beth when she came home.

Before long, dinner was being called, but Nani waved him off. "I'm waiting for Aunt Beth!"

So the minutes went by, and there still was no car coming down the driveway. When thirty minutes had gone by, Nani slid off the truck and started for the house. On the way, Jonathan stopped her. "I'm going out to look for her. She hasn't answered her phone… I'll call when I find her." He smiled, going to his truck. Nani squinted her eyes as the truck soon sped off, kicking up gravel. She curled her tail around her leg worriedly, till Cyrus called her again.

"Come on Nana-bear! Food's not good cold!"

But Nani kept looking down the driveway. "I'm not really hungry, Cyrus… Go ahead and eat."

The tiger huffed indignantly and started inside. "Alright, we'll save you, Uncle Jonathan and Aunty the leftovers!"

Nani lost track of how long she'd spent looking down that driveway. The others glanced out from the window, but figured not to bother her. Often in her thoughts Nani refused to talk to others. It was best to let her brew and think.

It made her jump when her phone rang. Upon answering, her Uncle was already talking breathlessly and blurred. "Woah woah, slow down, I can't understand you Uncle Jonathan."

The man took a deep breath. "It's Beth. There was an accident. _A-A semi-truck and her car was crushed_," he panted for breath, "I just got to the hospital when I found out. They took her to the E.R."

"Oh my god, are- are you okay?! Where are you?!"

"Sprigs Hospital. But its outside town. You and the others can't come out this far. Please… just stay home… manage the others.. I-I need to-" The phone suddenly went fuzzy, and the call ended. It felt like a blur for Nani. She ran inside, repeating what she was told a few times over, as if to clarify it for herself. It didn't seem to do much good, and only horrified the others. Nani stared at the wall phone, hesitating, and occasionally reaching but stopping herself.

T.J watched her with wide eyes. "W-wait…you're not thinking about doing _that_, are you?'

Cyrus took in a sharp breath. "It's the one thing those two always warned us about. Never to call the city, not to have any connections to-"

"I know the risk!" Nani shouted, eyes wide, and deciding what to do. "But there was the exception of an emergency… If this isn't, I don't know what is!"

"B-But Gen-U-Tech! We still have the letter from years back when Xanatos actually told us the truth. We can't risk something as big as-" Tom began, till Nani turned towards him.

"Tom, Aunt Beth might _die_. Her sister and… and her brother, should know that…"

A heavy, short silence followed in the room. Nani swallowed and turned, imputing the numbers she and the others swore to never call, until it was a last resort.

The feline was shaking as it rang.

"I'm calling Mr. Xanatos."

* * *

Owen Burnett's eyes never moved from the thin computer screen before him. His hands glided like magic across the keys, busy as always with his work. David Xanatos was upstairs near the castle heights, presumably deciding how to give the castle some repairs it needed. Owen couldn't complain with the simple computer work. It wasn't as bad as having to cook dinner or cleaning up after the gargoyles.

The ringing suddenly echoing in his ears made him falter in his typing. Owen calmly backed the errors away and answered the phone next to him.

"Owen Burnett, Xanatos corporation. May I ask who's calling and how you came by this number?"

In seconds the assistant turned from his computer screen, brows knitting. "I must ask you slow down- No, I haven't caught your name-"

He paused, listening to the frantic voice on the other end. "I'm tracing you from Montana… Montana?" Owen's eyes widened, suddenly making sense of what was being told to him. "Very well. I shall contact the two right away and coordinate their immediate departure."

The assistant only felt a small pinch of surprise, but like usual he bit any emotions down and made the phone calls. One for retired Detective Maza, and one for the leader in the sewers.

David Xanatos was surprised when his old friend Talon arrived beside him, panicked and wide eyed. "Talon, you came here in daylight?"

"Where is Elisa? We need to go now!"

"What are you-"

"Excuse me, sir." Owen interrupted as he approached. "I should have told you first."

Elisa Maza came out of the elevator nearby, rushing over. "I-I got here as soon as I could." She breathed. "What's happened?"

Xanatos impatiently looked at the assistant. Owen simply adjusted his glasses. "We've received a call from Montana." He stated, and that was enough for the three to freeze, one more than the others. "It seems your sister Beth was involved in an accident. It is believed to be critical, otherwise the call would not have been made."

"Owen? Has transport been arranged?" Xanatos quickly asked.

Owen simply lifted his head, listening as one of the fastest and most advanced in recent technology helicopters approached. Xanatos sighed. "I trained you good."

Elisa grabbed her brother's hand. "You ready?"

To all their surprises, he pulled away, stiff. "I…I can't. What if I see.. what if I see her again-"

"It's been too long, Talon." Elisa stated. "It's better to see your daughter sooner than never."

Something must have been going through the panther's mind, because he shook his head. "I don't know h-how- I'm sorry… Tell Beth I love her." Both she and Xanatos called after him as he ran. Xanatos frowned. "This family problem will have to wait. Beth needs you, detective. Hurry."

The second the helicopter landed, Elisa rushed inside, and quickly it went back up into the sky. Xanatos stared up a few moments, fists clenched.

"Owen… are the robots ready?"

Owen's blue eyes glanced over, blank, yet sharp.

Xanatos continued. "It's amazing… all this time getting ready, spending more money on advancement, and I feel just as much frustration and pain as those mutate parents. I think it's time." He turned, glaring at the blonde.

"No one should ever be separated on the account of fear of a madman and his pets."

He started inside, readily.

"Sevarius should have been handled twenty years ago…"

* * *

The family at the ranch had no way of seeing their Aunt during her stay at the hospital. It was too risky to go out, even disguised, purely because of how tall the mutates were. There were well over six foot, though Nani was just under it. It was painful for them to hear very little information about their Aunt, with Jonathan so torn and upset about it. He practically lived at the hospital now.

One day that long, horrible week, his truck came down the driveway. The four grown cubs rushed out to the front porch, watching with held breaths as Jonathan came out. His appearance startled them. He looked tired, as if he hadn't slept in days.

He probably hadn't.

They never noticed or expected the passenger door to open. A younger woman stood there with long, darkish blue hair in a low ponytail similar to Beth. The cubs all stared as the woman managed a small smile, and started for the porch.

"Well," she began, stopping before them and stuffing her hands in her jacket pockets, "you guys got big."

The cubs all exchanged looks, confused. Elisa smiled, eyes trailing over. "Nani… I almost didn't recognize you. You've grown so much… A beautiful woman, just like your mother." She smiled.

Nani furrowed her brows, not moving an inch or sure what to say. "…Elisa?"

The woman nodded.

In seconds, the mutates' long legs crossed the distance, and her strong arms nearly picked the woman up in her hug. "Aunt Elisa!" She cried, laughing. "I almost didn't remember-" she sniffed, quickly placing the amused woman back down. Nani lifted her head. "Did my father come with you? To check on Aunt Beth?"

They all could tell by the look in Elisa's eyes. The former detective lifted her hands slowly. "Listen, he… it's not easy for him-"

"Why didn't he come?" Nani asked, confusion and hurt coming to her face.

"Nani… He…"

"If he knew Aunt Beth was in such a state-"

"He couldn't, Nani!" Elisa stressed. "He, he didn't know how to-"

Nani simply turned and walked inside the house. Her door slamming seemed to echo after a minute. It was amazingly horrible for the woman. All the childhood pain she'd buried, thinking silly things about her parents, even after she learned the truth with Gen-U-Tech… a part of her wondered why they didn't come out to see her. Was the situation in New York really that desperate?

And would he really choose to avoid his own daughter, in the face of his sister possibly dying?

The feral screech of a wild feline shook the room and a window smashed. Furious white eyes glowed at anything she looked at.

Not that she could see clearly anyway with the burning tears in them.

Hours later, she felt a sense of childishness as her family talked with Aunt Elisa downstairs. She could hear them. But she didn't want to go down there. Nani wasn't mad at them… It was just the hurt over Talon. Her parents.

Nani looked down at her hands, and then her reflection in the mirror. She could see nothing wrong with her. She was as normal as any other mutate.

But then, she saw her back.

They weren't covered by long, leathery wings that skimmed the ground. It was only brown fur on the figure of a woman. It was such a small, ridiculous thought that had never crossed her mind before.

What if they had disowned her because of what she lacked? What if Gen-U-Tech wasn't really that big a deal? Possibly, her parents just wanted a son to continue leading, one normal in every mutate respect. Strong, commanding like her father, with wings…

She had to consider it, as much as it horrified her.

Surely twenty years, without the single hint of anything from them… that had to be a clear message, right?

"I have to get going, unfortunately. Lawyer work isn't forgiving for my case in the morning."

Nani could hear feet by the front door. Elisa must have been getting ready to leave. The distant sounds of a chopper whistled in approach. Nani cracked her door open, listening. Elisa's voice was soft. "Listen… tell her I'm sorry… I really am… It's just…things have really gotten blown out of proportion over the years. But if you ask me, I think Xanatos and the others don't plan on living this way much longer." The front door closed, and the others must have gone out with her.

The helicopter was at its loudest as it landed. After a slow goodbye, Jonathan returned to the house and knocked on Nani's door. "Nani, I need to have a talk with you." He stated, waiting semi-patiently.

The man only waited a few seconds before he opened the door, but it only pushed open without effort.

The room was empty, and the window's curtains billowed in the breeze…


	8. Stowaway

The gargoyles waited in anticipation for the helicopter to arrive in the courtyard area. They had been given word on Elisa's sister, and since they had woken up that night they'd all been concerned. To pass the time, the gargoyles talked about anything.

"Y'know, I swear I heard Xanatos talking about those old robots of his yesterday." Lexington rubbed his head. "You don't think he'll get involved with this whole Gen-U-Tech thing, right?"

"It's not really a thing aside from the victims." Angela pointed out. "Sevarius hired a part of the research side of the government to fund him, and supports his constant moving to stop us from finding his lab."

"I do not believe the government would approve such a thing." Goliath stated. "I have lived in this great country for over twenty years, and I refuse to believe those in power would abuse it to twist other's fates so horribly."

"I guess nothing is as perfect as it seems." Brooklyn sighed.

"Well we know Xanatos has been looking into that scientific division." Lexington reminded. "I helped him with the research, too. I think they're ex-government, if anything."

"They are trouble, whoever they are." Goliath frowned. "The mere thought of taking the unfortunate off the street and against their will turn them into monsters. At the very least, it is unfortunate they do not have the human will any longer, as Sevarius' first mutates kept with them."

"I fought one of the new mutates a few months back. Sevarius must be doing something different because those guys are way stronger than the first batch." Brooklyn huffed, recalling the difficult fight.

"Lad, I don't think Talon and his clan would appreciate being called a 'batch'." Hudson scolded.

"Sorry.."

Bronx started sniffing the air, turning his head a few times. Then, he began panting excitedly and barking. "Hey, what's got into you?" Lex smiled. The clan watched as Bronx barked and looked up at the sky, wagging his short tail. Then, they could see the blinking lights, and hear the low chirring of the helicopter.

"Hey! Elisa's back!"

"That must be what he smelled!" Broadway grinned. The gargoyles made a little room so the helicopter would have plenty space. The gargoyles' folded wings billowed from the force of the helicopter, and with a dying whine the craft shut off in front of them. Goliath greeted her by the door, smiling at the human woman. Then remembering why she had left, he appeared apologetic. "Elisa…"

The woman was helped out and sighed. "It's good to be back." Her smile faltered, knowing why they were all looking at her. "Beth is going to need some time to recover. Her body was… crunched in the accident, but surprisingly, only her legs were broken in small places. It sounds horrible, but it's not as serious as we thought… What's gotten into Bronx?" she asked, watching the gar-dog running around the helicopter.

"He's excited you're back!" Broadway pointed out.

Elisa raised a brow. "But… he's not even looking at me-"

All the sudden, the barking gar-dog sped off through the castle, howling and panting. The gargoyles were startled and Lexington jumped. "I think he was chasing something!"

"What if a mutate is sneaking around?!" Broadway panicked.

"Everyone, after him!" Goliath shouted, and they all went off different directions. With Bronx though, they didn't have to look for directions long. Bronx went all throughout the castle, barking and leading the way. Brooklyn saw the direction Bronx headed, and decided to intercept. The crimson gargoyle rounded the corner, a little ways ahead of Bronx. Then, like a train something collided into him full force.

The gargoyle went crashing back and caught sight of fur. "Guys! It's a mutate!" he shouted, scrambling to catch a hold. But the mutate hissed like the feline it was, and slid free of his grip. On all fours the mutate ran, but at the end of the hall was a dead end. The door there was password locked and secured. Brooklyn scrambled up to his feet, growling, and rushing on his fours after. Seeing the mutate cornered, he pushed up to his feet, wings flared.

_"You chose the wrong night to snoop around-"_

Bronx suddenly ran past him, panting and happy as ever. The mutate turned and gasped when the gar-dog jumped her. At first, the mutate hollered and covered herself, before realizing he wasn't attacking. Bronx had laid down on the mutate, slobbering all over her face.

Brooklyn's face was pricelessly confused seeing the dog wasn't attacking.

Then, that muffled yelling turned to laughter. Soon, the other gargoyles arrived, and their ready stances faltered. Bronx finally jumped aside, but still wagging his tail resulted in his whole backside shaking. He was very happy. The mutate on the ground giggled only a moment more, before she sat upright and wiped her face clean of the spit.

Then, cat-like blue eyes glanced up, taking note of the staring group.

Nani crinkled her nose. "Such a fuss over me? You could be wasting this time stopping Gen-U-Tech."

As she got to her feet, brushing herself clean, Goliath stepped forward. He looked the mutate over. She was wearing a dark blue t-shirt, but it clearly was too small for a mutate. Her midriff was exposed, and her blue jean shorts only went to her knees. Aside from that, there was nothing else but the clip that kept her long, dirty blonde hair braided behind her. It was a long, thin plait reaching her elbows. A few tufts of hair fell between her ears, just above her eyes.

"Who are you?" The gargoyle questioned.

The mutate loosely crossed her arms, looking offended and scrunching her nose. "You guys got bad memory or something?" she asked, looking at them all a few moments. "_I_ remember, but your names escape me…"

All the sudden, Lexington gasped and scurried forward.

"Nani?"

The feline's smile was pearly white, small fangs barely visible. "Who else?"

Recollection came to the gargoyle's' faces one by one, and soon, they were all cluttered around her, smiling excitedly and asking questions.

"I didn't recognize you!" Angela beamed.

Bronx was barking happily again.

"You got really tall!" Lexington pointed out.

"Aye lass, you've grown mighty fast." Hudson's voice said.

But in the midst of it all, Nani saw her aunt approaching. The former detective was shocked. "Nani…? How… How did you get here?"

"You mean she didn't come here with you?" Goliath questioned.

"No!" Elisa was amazed. "Wait… you didn't-"

Nani smirked. "Didn't catch a ride under the helicopter? Maybe."

"But you don't have any wings! What if you fell?"

Nani raised a thin fur eyebrow, as if she didn't care for the reminder. "I filed my nails before I hitched a ride. Uh, well, it's been nice seeing you all again, but I came here to see my parents… There's a lot I need to know."

"You can't, though." Elisa began, till Nani's low growl echoed in her throat and earned an immediate surprised silence. The feline rubbed her forehead with her hands. "I've been waiting my whole life, Aunty… And no offense, but I'm tired of waiting. Whatever's been taking _so long_ here, I'm sick of. _Whatever the_ _drama_ is that all these unanswered questions have come from, I don't care. I am going home, and that's that!" All it took was a turn on her heels to go jumping out the window, since this part of the castle didn't have any glass.

"Wait!"

Brooklyn had already jumped out after her, shouting he'd fetch her back. This time though Nani wasn't running. She made her way through the courtyard, trying to figure out a way down to the ground, and sewers. As she looked for a way, she became aware she'd been followed.

"Alright, I get you're obviously frustrated, but there's reasons-"

"Don't care." Nani interrupted, looking over the edge and judging if she could climb it. "I don't owe anyone any explanations. Now, please excuse me so I can find my way down…um…"

"Brooklyn." He answered with some irritation.

Nani paused. "Oh yeah…" When she continued walking around in search, he followed her. "Don't you even want to hear why-"

"_No_."

Brooklyn flared his wings. "It's dangerous to go around-"

"Why? Because of some old scientist? Big deal. I'm not scared like my parents. I'm taking action because I'm not waiting another twenty years." She hissed out, briskly turning back to looking. Why did all the walls have to be non-grip glass?!

Brooklyn simmered. "So what, your parents keep you safe as much as it clearly hurt them, and you think they owe you something? You have no idea what's out there."

Nani glared at him. Her tail swished behind her. "_What_ then."

The gargoyle frowned. He didn't think the cubs would ever grow up to be so bitter. From what he knew, they had it nice and good back in Montana. "What you don't know is, Sevarius has been making more mutates like there's no tomorrow. Stronger, more dangerous… without anything left of the humans they used to be."

The woman looked at him a few moments. "Is that what they've been fighting for so long?"

"It's not that simple. Sevarius has some government sect protecting him, funding his work. Xanatos is working on that. But the main reason this is taking so long… is… it's the victims in all this. Sevarius has more hostages that are as good as gone once he tests on them. The more we fight, the more lives he ruins… Nothing is simple. That's why there weren't any communications… The new mutates are so advanced… they'd sniff you out if there was any trace."

Brooklyn didn't know how to feel when Nani stared at him for a long minute.

It startled him when her eyes watered, and she fell on her knees. Brooklyn rushed over, eyes wide. "H-Hey! Are you okay? You're shaking."

Droplets of water fell from her face, to which she wiped away and sniffed. "I-I've been trying to figure it out.. all these years." She breathed, shaking her head. "I just thought they gave up on me."

The gargoyle almost laughed, but didn't. "Are you kidding? You're the reason they fight… They all fight for the hope they could see you and the others again."

Nani looked up at the gargoyle. Brooklyn could clearly see Maggie's eyes in them, and the former determination of Talon. But now, this, was a new woman he didn't know. It was odd to think of those cubs grown now. Soon, her eyes fell downcast.

"All these years, I started to hate them… Thinking they disowned me. I guess it was just me making myself miserable." She groaned, holding her head. "Now I've got a headache."

Brooklyn placed light arms on her to help her up. "Come on. We'll get you to the kitchen, get you some painkillers."

Nani nodded, grateful the gargoyle was so understanding. "Thanks."

The rest of the gargoyles were in the castle lobby, and looked over when the two passed by. Nani, too ashamed of herself, kept her eyes to the ground. Brooklyn gave them a glance that everything was alright, and showed her to the kitchen.

She looked around, trying to remember. Everything was newer, but still familiar…

Brooklyn tossed her a soda and bottle of pills. "I think the others wanna hear more… well, if you're up for it."

Nani downed the painkiller and sighed. "Yeah, sure. It's the least I could do." So, she returned to the others with Brooklyn, soon speaking.

"I'd prefer if no one told my parents of me being here. I'd like to surprise them… maybe give them a little invigoration about ending all this drama… Quite frankly, we all wanted to return home." Nani smiled.

Soon, they were all seated comfortably on the couches and chairs, listening to Nani explain about her and the cubs growing up, and all they had done at the ranch. Bronx loyally sat at her feet the whole time, since he had missed the cubs dearly. Twenty years clearly meant nothing.

"-and that's why Johnny and his brother left. I guess they just got too big for their boots." She shrugged, sipping her tea. The others were amused for some reason.

"You really grew an accent. Not to mention, I've never seen anyone drink so much tea." Lexington pointed out.

Nani lifted her eyes and paused. "Really…? Huh… Well at least I don't sound like ah Yankee." She mumbled. Angela looked out the window. "Guys, its almost sunrise."

The mutate was surprised. "I've been talking all night?"

"There's a lot to catch up on!" Brooklyn smiled, to which Goliath nodded. "The rest can be finished after sunset. I'm sure you would like to rest as well."

"Cat-nap wouldn't hurt." She shrugged.

One by one, the gargoyles either gave her a hug or again said how happy they were to have her there. Angela was the only one that hugged her though. Nani watched them all head off to their perches to sleep. That left her and Elisa.

The lawyer stuffed her hands in her jacket. "You know, if you wanted to come with, you could have asked. I feel sick just thinking about you being under that helicopter, hanging on without a backup."

"Would you have let me go if I asked?"

Elisa smiled, closing her eyes. "Well, no…"

Nani hugged her Aunt. "Hey… I'm sorry about last night, Aunty… I didn't mean to take it out on you. I guess being left in the dark makes someone overreact, and assume the worst."

Elisa nodded.

"Hey Aunty?"

When she looked over, the mutate lowered her gaze to the ground. "Did…did anyone in the sewers ever have any more cubs?"

"No." Elisa answered. "Either they were too upset over leaving you guys, or too scared because of Sevarius."

As if Nani couldn't feel any more worse. She had been so foolish…

Her ears pressed back against her head.

"_Right_…"


	9. Friend

Without the gargoyles and her Aunt, it certainly made the big castle lonely. But as any feline mutate did, she settled to spend the morning and afternoon catching up on her sleep. Nani lounged on one of the couches, glad it was long enough to accommodate the gargoyles. An hour into the evening, she turned on the couch, stirring awake. The woman groaned and covered her eyes, breathing out slowly.

"Well, you're certainly a new face, not exactly a bad one either."

Nani jumped awake, taking a moment to blink and look over.

There was a strange young man sitting across from her. He resembled Xanatos, only he was much younger, and his hair and beard were ginger. Nani felt her brow twitch when she saw that cocky smirk.

"And… do you normally watch people when they're asleep?"

"No, not normally. But I don't think I can say you're normal, hm?"

"In a castle that's in a modern city, housing ancient gargoyles, I think I'm decently normal." Nani answered, crossing her arms over her chest. This guy was familiar, and it annoyed her how he looked like he owned the place.

The strange man chuckled and leaned back into his seat. "Considering I live here, shouldn't I be asking the questions?"

"I thought Xanatos lived here."

"He does. I'm his son, Alexander."

Oh.

Nani tilted her head, squinting. "You do seem kinda familiar…"

"My mother told me we often played together as young children." He shrugged. "Though I'd never thought my old playmate would be such a beautiful woman."

"Are you some kind of weirdo?"

He blinked, raising his brows. "Why would you say that?"

Nani leaned forward over her knees, lips quirking. "I'm not exactly the _next top model_. Not to mention, every guy that ever complimented me back home was…questionable, in their motives." She trailed off, looking aside in thought. Those experiences were best left forgotten.

Alexander chuckled and shook his head. "No, my dear, it was only a compliment."

Nani glanced back over. "So… do you follow your father's work?"

"No, not exactly. I admire the fame and all that, but I want it to be from my own work, and not from under his… Few years back, I started up my own company. Instead of all that serious business and negotiations with sour people like my father, I moved into the human relations category. To put it simple, I help the unfortunate and give them opportunities, which in turn can educate people. Basically it spreads from there."

She blinked. "That's…actually really nice."

Alex smiled. "I'm not a shrewd business-man. I like keeping it simple with real people. I also run a magazine brand, which features exotic peoples' stories. Stories of amazing things. Survivors of disease, war heroes and so on. It also features unique women, front cover." She watched as Alexander Xanatos approached, and stood before her. He looked at her features, causing her to blink and eventually look away. But then, a soft hand turned her chin to face him, and he raised a brow.

"You have excellent features. Granted, I don't know what's normal for mutates, but I'm sticking with my words of you being a lovely woman… Regardless, too."

Nani looked up into those kind blue eyes longer than she meant to.

A cough interrupted the moment, and Nani jerked her head away from his hand. Brooklyn stood in the doorway of the balcony, awkward looking.

"Uh…morning, I guess. Hope I didn't interrupt anything."

Nani turned her head to look out the window. "I didn't know it was so late." She blinked, standing up and ignoring the proximity of Alex. She brushed by him and started towards the balcony. "Oh, it was nice meeting you, Alexander." She said over her shoulder.

"Just Alex." He smiled, lifting his hand in a wave. Alex seemed oblivious to the wary look of the gargoyle, whom of which followed her out. Nani leaned over the balcony's railing, looking out at the courtyard below. She could hear the gargoyle's gliding down from their perches.

"Any plans? Now that you're back in New York." Brooklyn hopped up beside her on the railing, sitting with his knees bent, and leaning forward on it. Nani leaned over it, loosely crossing her arms on the cool stone.

"Originally? It was to confront my parents. But… now…? I'm not sure."

"But I know they'd be happy seeing you again." Brooklyn pointed out.

Nani sighed, drooping her head between her shoulders. "I should get over my guilt first… and get used to this city." She murmured, lifting her head. "It's so…bright. So loud. It's like another world."

Brooklyn chuckled. "Heh, yeah. Me and the others said that too when we were brought here."

"Y'know, I never asked about you guys. Guess I was too young back then." Nani smiled towards him and pushed herself to sit next to him. But there was still a good foot or two between them. "You don't sound Scottish."

The gargoyle laughed, looking below at the courtyard. "Nah, the humans that came to our home though were Scottish."

"So… you were like the first natives to that area then?"

"Pretty much." He sighed. "Our clan lived there, generation after generation until-" It seemed his words had failed him, and he grimaced. Nani furrowed her brows.

"Uh, don't worry about it. I can always pick someone else's brain."

"N-No! I don't mind." The gargoyle felt embarrassed over his outburst and swallowed, rubbing the back of his neck. Nani found it odd, but didn't comment. "Okay… To be honest, you might have to start from the beginning," she began, turning towards him, "I was never told anything about you guys. Over the years, anything we got from New York was strictly rules from Xanatos." She mumbled.

Brooklyn oddly kept his eyes to the ground, stiff looking since she faced him. "I-It was for you guys' safety though… Ahem… right, the beginning…"

So, for a long hour, the gargoyle explained their story. Even up to all the adventures he and the others had in New York. By the end of it, they were laughing over some of the shenanigans.

"Geez, I hope I have nine lives then. To go through the drama you guys deal with, and to see it." The mutate chuckled, soon lifting her head. Goliath was gliding down. Gradually Brooklyn's smile vanished when he noticed.

The clan leader folded his wings like a cape around him. He gave a polite smile and nod to the mutate. "Nani." He greeted. "I hope you've been adjusting to the city."

Said feline turned her head, looking out into the bright lights nearby.

"It's something."

The gargoyle took a breath, closing his eyes a moment. "I've talked with your father and Xanatos."

That immediately caused her to snap towards him, eyes wide. Even Brooklyn looked alarmed.

"I did not tell him about you. However, you should know those two are only a night away from their attack on Sevarius. Since you have returned, it has motivated Xanatos to do what needs to be done."

"I thought he was looking into the government still." She thought aloud, calming her heart. Thankfully Goliath hadn't done what she feared.

Goliath slowly shook his head. "They've been evading him. Either they have some part to play, or do not believe a private citizen has any business in the matter. Regardless, the plan is in action. Brooklyn, tell the others. We will offer our assistance in stopping Sevarius."

Nani ran a hand through her hair. "I chose a bad time to come home if you guys were planning this now." Then, she opened her eyes. "I'd like to help."

"Out of the question." Goliath quickly responded, surprising the both of them. "You are too young, inexperienced. No doubt the country life has sheltered you, to which was the goal in sending you cubs away."

"Uh… It's been twenty years, sir. I'm not a cub. And, isn't this my family fighting here? I can't just hide away if their lives are in danger."

When the gargoyle shook his head, Brooklyn slid off the railing. "Goliath, we can't decide for her. It's not like-"

"Brooklyn, the very reason Talon sent the cubs away was for their safety. Years passed or not, he would not want anyone in harm's way. This discussion is over."

Swiftly, the leader turned and headed inside.

Nani looked both shocked, and also like her words had died on her tongue. The feline knitted her brows.

"Did he just say country life sheltered me?"

"Well, yeah? I mean, there's no thugs or crazy things out here. What, an angry cow at best?" Brooklyn snorted.

Nani raised her brows, slowly sliding off the rail, and crossed her arms.

"I may be a country girl that likes filing my nails, but I know how to get dirty."

"Well you lived on a farm, that's obvious-"

"_Ranch_." She corrected. "Not to mention, I've taken down men before. I can fight if I want."

Insult boiled in her veins when he looked her over.

"You tryin' to say something, crimson?" she questioned, poking him in the chest. Brooklyn ended up laughing.

"_You_ really can fight…erm, kitty cat?"

It actually surprised him when she tackled him. The two went tumbling off the balcony, and into the bushes below thankfully. Brooklyn found himself being wrestled with surprising strength, and though her sharp teeth were visible, she was smiling.

"I didn't grow up around five boys without learning some things!"

"Hah! Well I got a few decades worth of practice-" the gargoyle growled, and to the mutate's surprise, he flipped them over and pinned her down. The feline let out a short yowl in surprise, and with a growl in her throat, she lifted her legs against her and kicked him off. Nani flipped over low to the ground, staring at him readily.

Brooklyn mimicked her position. "Something tells me you're not gonna listen to Goliath."

Nani circled him briefly, somewhat amused. "Hey, the guys' not my leader."

And with that, the wrestling continued. It lasted until Nani's strength wore out, which was to be expected against a practiced warrior. The feline panted for breath, arms spread out on the ground, and staring up at the sky.

Brooklyn crossed his arms nearby and sat. "Had enough?"

The woman scoffed. "Only…because back home… they would have stopped… a fight from going…on too long." She managed, chest rising and falling quickly.

The gargoyle seemed oddly proud or smug of his work, and leaned back on his hands. "Well, if you're fighting out here, they're not gonna give you a breather."

_"I know_." Nani retorted, pushing herself up. She pressed a hand to her head. "Aw, man…"

"What?"

"…I'm starving."

Brooklyn snorted and got to his feet. "Come on. I know this great place."

So they went to the edge of the courtyard, and as Brooklyn spread his wings, Nani warily dared a step nearer, and lifted her head as if nauseous.

Brooklyn raised a brow. "You coming?"

Nani stared at him.

He stared back. Finally, he smacked his forehead. "Oh, right… sorry."

"Eh, don't worry about it. I'll just find something around here."

"…wait, you've flown before, right?"

Nani turned and looked at him. "No, Brooklyn, I never had wings. I'm sure my parents flew with me when I was younger, but I don't remember it."

The gargoyle looked in disbelief. "Well we gotta change that right now. Come on."

She looked at him as if he were crazy. Then she cracked a smile. "Funny. For one, I doubt you could carry me. I'm heavier than this figure lets on." She joked. "Secondly…" she peered over the edge, uncertain.

"…no."

"No…?"

The feline's knees were buckling. "I-I don't think…n-no."

"Relax. I've gotcha!"

Much to her protest, suddenly, he pulled her into his arms. With all her talking all Brooklyn could do was laugh. "Now just hold on-"

"**-Ireallydon'tthinkthisisagoodidea-"**

"-and brace yourself-"

"**wait**_**NO**_-"

The woman hollered when he jumped. Brooklyn winced as he glided beyond the tower. "Claws!"

She did very little to ease that pain. Her arms were hooked around his neck, and her legs were tightly wrapped around him. The feline's teeth chattered in her head, eyes scrunched. "Y-You b-better not drop me." She stammered, shaking.

"Heh, I'm stronger than I look." He tried to lighten up the mood, but saw it did nothing. She was still wrapped around him tightly, terrified. Worst of all, he could feel her heart pounding against his chest. Brooklyn thoughtfully looked ahead.

"You know…we actually flew once before."

It took a few moments, but slowly she turned her head. "When…?"

Brooklyn hummed. "You couldn't have been more than three at the time. Some repair guy came to the tower, and he thought Y2K mutated people when he saw you." The gargoyle chuckled. He felt her ears perking against his cheek, the fluffy tuff tickling his skin. "Anyway, he tried to help you, but the guy went nuts when he saw us. He ended up falling off the roof with you… But I managed to catch you."

Nani was now looking at him. It seemed as if she'd forgotten the tall height below. "I had no idea…"

He only shrugged, looking below at the buildings. "Yeah, it was a long time ago. We're here, too."

Unintentionally looking below caused Nani to gasp, but luckily Brooklyn flew down before she could get her claws in him. Upon landing, the feline fell back on her backside, letting out a hard breath.

"I have no idea how my family does that regularly." She breathed quietly, much to his amusement. Nani got to her feet, sniffing. "I smell…pizza?"

"Honey you haven't lived till you've had New York pizza!" he laughed, yet when catching sight of her curious look, he coughed in realization. "Uh, s-sorry-"

Nani just laughed and looked over the side of the building. "So…how does this work?" she asked, tucking some hair behind her ear. But as usual the long bangs hovered over her eyes anyway. Brooklyn leaned over the side, crouching. "We have a method. Sit back and watch."

He took a scrap paper from his pocket, though it was more like a space between the loincloth and his skin. The gargoyle scribbled something down and climbed down the side of the building. Nani's mouth fell open a bit as she watched, curiously looking down. That looked like another difference between the mutates and gargoyles. Both could climb any decent surface, but she couldn't climb down like that headfirst. Nani would probably end up losing her balance… but at least the other mutates would have wings to catch them.

To her surprise, he darted through the front doors. From there she couldn't see what he did, so she looked around. The streets were practically empty. Nani lifted her head, noting the faint scent of cigarettes and the dumpster nearby. The tall buildings nearby left her dizzy. Suddenly, Brooklyn returned to his spot next to her, smiling.

"There."

"What'd you do?"

"I left the order and money on the counter… These days people are starting to accept gargoyles a little, well, here anyway, but it's not good for business if they support us. Might get attacked or lose money. But small places like this support us still if we're discreet."

Nani looked back down. "Clever."

"And now we wait."

Nani looked back up at the tall buildings. She seemed to look uncomfortable. "Hey… can I ask something?"

"Sure." He shrugged. The gargoyle was leaning back on his hands, soaking up the moonlight it looked like.

"How long did it take you for to get used to this city?"

Brooklyn paused, and turned his head. Nani quickly looked away from him, as if distracted by something elsewhere. "Well…" he began, "it was a pretty big culture-shock at first. A thousand years is a pretty big jump." He tried cracking a smile, but he sensed something was up. "Why? You like it here…right?"

Nani didn't directly answer. "I'm just used to looking at open mountains and fields… Don't worry, I'll adjust." Her smile was obviously forced.

Brooklyn looked at her a moment. "Speaking of which… you ever plan on going back there?"

Nani looked at him, causing him to elaborate. "It's just, I figured the others might want to know if you're okay." He shrugged off. The feline looked back up, gulping. "They probably already figured out what I did… And I don't know yet. It depends how everything goes after tomorrow night…"

There was the chime of the door opening, and a box of pizza being set outside the door. Brooklyn licked his lips. "I know everything will work out. Sevarius won't know what hit him." With that, Brooklyn crawled over the side to fetch the pizzas. Nani was thankful to be snapped out of her thoughts, and curled her tail around her thoughtfully.

New York pizza must be something if he was this happy.

Soon he sat back down next to her. "You ready?"

She raised a brow. "_It's just pizza."_

Brooklyn only scoffed and opened it. He seemed to wait for her first bite, which took a second for her to keep pulling her head back and cause the long gooey cheese to break off. Finally, she slurped it up and nodded.

"-Is good-" she managed, soon finishing her slice. Somehow by then the pizza was already halfway gone.

"Told you." Brooklyn licked his lips. "You should see us on pizza night. I think I can eat up to seven, or was it eight pizzas?"

Nani ended up staring at him mid-bite. He laughed, embarrassed. "Yeah, heh…guess there's some stuff you don't know about us."

"You honestly don't look like you could down that many… How do you guys stay in shape?" Nani laughed. Brooklyn lifted his head, proudly. "Clan secret."

For a good while after that, the two had finished eating and talked. The conversation had steadily moved towards the sewer clan. "It's weird though. I think because of their gargoyle blood, it's slowed their age down. They don't look a day older since I met them… what?"

Nani stared at him, and snapped out of it. "Sorry… Really though? I kinda feared they would be old… but at least I've got plenty of time, I guess." She smiled, stretching her arms above her.

He cracked a smile and got to his feet, stretching. "We should probably head back. Don't want to worry them too long." As Nani gave a nod, she looked around. "Shouldn't we get closer, first? Unless you can just fly."

"Nah. Sometimes we gotta roof-travel. Can you do that?"

Nani looked both amused and insulted. "I happen to be an athlete gymnast. My old trainer said I could have gone to the Olympics if…well, never mind." She chuckled, receiving an amused look.

"Really then… In that case, I hope you can keep up." Then, he ran towards the edge and jumped to the next roof. Yet when he turned his head to see her, Nani was already sliding next to him. Because her feet weren't talons, her furred feet slid a bit. But she caught herself and sent a smile over.

From there they continued jumping roofs, occasionally latching onto walls and climbing up. When the tower was within sight, Brooklyn offered his hand. "You gonna close your eyes this time?"

Nani took his hand, briefly looking off the tall edge.

"Nah…not this time. I know you got me." She smiled. Brooklyn gently returned the look.

Nani swore she felt something different as they flew to the tower. Maybe it was not being as scared of the height. Or, some sense of satisfaction that she could feel his own heart pounding against hers.


End file.
